• Avocado California Roll and Sushi (2430 S Interstate 35 E):  This place is not too bad.  I would say if you are looking for an entry-level place, this would be a good place to go.  It’s certainly not what I would call authentic, but if you’re looking for a for-reals sushi experience, you should probably stay at home and learn how to make the shit yourself.  Avocado has a pretty aggressive menu of weird rolls, so it’s a pretty safe bet that anyone can find something they’ll enjoy.  They even offer a California roll with fried chicken stuffed inside it, which I’m not ashamed to say I ate the hell out of.  The service is good, and the space is nice, though they are in one of the worst imaginable spots, real-estate wise.  If you didn’t know where it was already, you’d probably never know it was there.  But definitely worthwhile.

Yup.

• Keiichi (500 N Elm St):  The good-this joint is totally legit.  The menu changes daily depending on which fish is currently awesome.  Keiichi gives you the most honest sushi experience you’ll find pretty much anywhere.  The bad-pretty much everything else.  Seating is limited to 10 people.  Service is balls.  And I don’t know about you, but I feel like an asshole after paying $15 for a spicy tuna roll, and then have to share an eating space with drunken lawyers out having ‘salaryman night’.  But if you’re into that, go to Keiichi.

• Royal East Asian Cuisine (1622 West University Drive):  Royal East looks ghetto, and it kind of is, but it is also tied with J Sushi for my favorite place.  It’s really a Korean restaurant that also does a little sushi, but it does it all really, really well.  Nothing suffers.  The service is hands down the best service I’ve ever had in any restaurant.  The head dude in charge (Collin, I think? The white guy who meets you at the door.) knows EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING on the menu, and even got me to re-try sake after a previously disastrous experience.  It was totes good.  The sushi menu has a nice variety without being totally balls-out, and it’s always been super-fresh and tremendous.  The traditional Korean offerings are also way good and prepared with flair.  Slightly pricey, but worth the money.  Also, my secret record shop spot is conveniently located next door.  OR IS IT?

• I Love Sushi (917 Sunset St):  I don’t understand why people have such a boner for this place.  Truly awful.  Squishy is their mission statement.  Please do me a personal solid, and don’t go here.

• J Sushi(1400 S. Loop 288):  My personal favorite for the past couple of months.  J Sushi is pretty new, nestled on a strip corner next door to a Buffalo Wild Wings, but don’t let that fool you.  The worst thing I can say about this place is that it has a vague sports bar vibe, in that they consistently have ESPN on the giant TV over the bar, but the sound is never on, so it’s never intrusive.  The space is huge, with plenty of seating both at tables and at the bar.  Service=quick and attentive.  Most of my experiences here have been lunch, where they offer a gigantic bento box for round-eyes.  Every bit of it is terrific, and you have 7-8 different ways to customize it.  Along with Royal East, my highest recommendation.

Bear in mind I’m probably leaving some places out.  Also, I passed on any grocery store sushi.  While I hear that the university Kroger makes some respectable rolls, I’ve been burned one too many times on deli sushi.

Score(s): Avocado gets a 3/Keiichi gets a 3/Royal East gets a 5/I Love Sushi gets a 1/J Sushi gets a 5 out of 5.

I read a management philosophy book once, so I’m going to write this review in the form of a Compliment Sandwich. That’s where you say something positive, and then you introduce a criticism, and then you finish up with another positive observation. Here goes:

New China King Buffet is conveniently located on 380 / University, near Carroll!

The food was cold.
Our waitress was rude.
The sushi guy told me something was a salmon roll and it was spicy tuna.
For two buffets, a water, and an iced tea the bill was 22 dollars.
Whatever wasn’t bland tasted weird.
Ever since I got home I’ve had awful shits.
Seriously.
We ate there at about 8, and it is 2:30 in the morning.
I’m sitting here sweating and shivering like a hound dog trying to shit a peach pit.

They have a deep freezer with real ice cream:
I had cookies and cream, which was pretty good!

Score: New China King Buffet gets a 1 out of 5.

Mr. Chopsticks is not crazy gourmet. I think of it as the Asian equivalent of a really good neighborhood deli or pizza joint. I love eating here because I’ve been eating here for years, I am familiar with the staff, and I see my friends there all the time.

Not all of the food is incredible, but it is all at least pretty good. Some of the selections – like the pho, for instance, or the pad thai – are as good as you would find at a more specialized restaurant of comparable quality. The service at Chopsticks is usually quite good.

I think people that complain about the sushi here have unrealistic expectations, or maybe have developed a more refined sushi palette than Chopsticks or any local non-specialty, non-gourmet place can deliver. This is like a Level 2 Sommelier complaining about the house wine at Olive Garden. Stop being a jerkhammer.

The recent expansions have done a lot of class the place up.

People give Chopsticks bad reviews because they think it is something other than what it really is. Chopsticks is a pretty good, totally local restaurant that is fun to go to with a bunch of friends. If you think it is something other than that or expect something more, you’ll be disappointed. But then again, you probably feel that way all the time, so what’s new?

Score

Mr Chopsticks gets a 4 out of 5.