Sweet & Savory

Arikato Sushi

Wednesday night, I felt really drained by work. I was looking for something to perk me up.. something refreshing.. something delicious. J suggested sushi, which sounded like it fit the bill perfectly. We decided to try some place new instead of Kamakura, our usual favorite. Arikato was nearby and we had wanted to try it over the weekend, but it was closed for some reason, even though it was well within their advertised operating hours. (Update: They changed their hours — now open for lunch on weekdays only, but dinner every day.) Lucky for us and our growing appetites, it was open this time and we got a table without much of a wait.

I have to apologize in advance for not having any pictures to show. Since this was a spontaneous trip, we didn't have our camera with us. But, for the meantime, I'll try to describe everything with words as best I can.

The sushi bar was situated in the middle of the restaurant and occupied the majority of the space. Between the sushi chef's workspace and the counter where diners could sit, was a track for sushi boats. This track actually looked like it also ran into the kitchen, which we could see behind a wall that separated it from the dining area. This probably allowed behind-the-scenes kitchen staff to add sushi selection to the boats as well.

The ceiling was painted a dark blue or black with sparkles added to mimic a night sky. Modern lamps of all different colors hung around the sushi bar area. Ten or so square tables encircled the sushi bar, lining the perimeter of the room.

Arikato had coloful menus with plenty of photos, so that we could tell what we were going to get. Each roll had its own picture and the captions were very detailed. There was also a section for your usual Japanese appetizers and entrees, though there were fewer pictures for this part.

It took us a while to figure out exactly what we wanted to try, since there was so much selection. But when we were ready to order, we realized that there was a shortage of waitstaff — one sushi chef behind the bar and only one waitress. J thought she saw the waitress doing the cooking in the back as well. Service was slow enough that this certainly could have been possible. Fortunately, we both had a lot to talk about and she did take our order once we signaled to the attentive sushi chef that we were ready to order.

We ended up getting two special sushi rolls — a Besss roll (shrimp tempura, white tuna, and crabmeat) and an IBM roll (unagi, tuna, and avocado). We also got a Futo Maki, California Roll, and three orders of Nigiri — Sake (salmon), Maguro (tuna), and Tamago (egg).

By the time we finished it all, we were stuffed and very satisfied. The raw fish tasted very fresh, and the proportion of rice in the rolls was just about right, unlike many other sushi roll places that use too much rice. The best part was that all this food only cost about $40 including tip. This surprised us, since typically a meal of high quality sushi such as this would cost at least one and a half times as much.

The prices were reasonable, the food was fresh and the portions satisfying. Overall, we give Arikato two thumbs up. It might even take the place of our current favorite sushi joint. We'll have to go back to try out the entrees as well as to nab some pictures! Or we might try the sushi bar next time, especially if we intend to eat mainly sushi again.