Tokyo Grill & Sushi, 4478 Breton Rd SE - 9/29/10

 

Located in a half-alive strip mall at 44th and Breton, the restaurant opens up into a large room that greets you with a sushi bar. The room is lined with booths against two walls and the rest of the place is filled with roughly 20 tables for two or four. At the front and back of the room there are two private dining areas, each of which contains the low, Japanese table-style dining. These rooms require reservations and prohibit shoes.

The booths and the private rooms offer a semblance of privacy but otherwise you’re in an open room dining with everyone else. Because of this, and the tile floor, noise was an issue. (From our booth I could hear voices from the other side of the room.) But all in all, it’s an inviting atmosphere.

Service was prompt but a bit rushed throughout our lunch. However, other posted reviews have indicated the opposite experience. Since there were very few people in the restaurant, we did not expect to be pushed as much as we were.

We started with wasabi sumai. The wasabi flavored steamed pork dumplings came with a house dipping sauce. They were tenderly prepared and quite delicious. Before it arrived, we were served miso soup, which was not as good as what we’ve had elsewhere.

Our first main dish was beef hibachi. Broiled marinated beef came with homemade sauce, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and broccoli. It was a very tasty combination of flavors and well prepared.

Next up was the shrimp tempura lunch box. This was a most impressive presentation and a great way to sample more offerings. It arrived with California rolls, vegetable dumplings, chicken katsur, salad, rice, deep fried shrimp, and vegetables. Overall, the lunch box was great. Unfortunately, the shrimp, perhaps the weakest part of the dish, was overshadowed by the California rolls and dumplings.    

Lunch and dinner menus are online. The restaurant was clean, the food was fresh, and the staff was friendly and helpful. It’s definitely worth a visit.

www.tokyogrillsushi.com