Sushi Ya

My favorite place for Japanese!

Ever felt like an unwelcome customer in a restaurant? I felt like that here.

Whenever I have a full hour for lunch (which is not very often), I always try to eat somewhere new. Sushi Ya has been on my to-do list for awhile. When I drove past it a few days ago, I did a quick turn into the parking lot as I knew that would be lunch for the day. An open parking spot near the door was waiting for me. Sweet.

I knew from previous reviews it was small, but I was still surprised at how small it was, especially at the 'bar.' The place was pretty full, which was a good sign. An older lady motioned for me to sit at the bar and I was immediately handed a sheet of paper, pen, and menu without a word or smile. Um, OK. I wasn't quite sure what to do with the paper -- circle what I wanted? Write how many of the item I wanted? Make a paper airplane? Eat it?

I scanned over the menu -- so many delicious options! I wanted a small, inexpensive meal, so I selected the AAC sushi rolls. I wrote a 'one' next to that item on the order sheet. While I sat there waiting, the guy/cook behind the counter eventually demanded the sheet of paper from me. If there is a way to demand something with your fingers, that is what he did. My order was demanded. Lovely. On top of that, he was confused by my order. The unsmiling lady came over, rolled her eyes at me, and highlighted the item I picked. Jeez. OK.

To my delight, I was immediately given a bowl of miso soup and a small serving of edamame to start my meal. They were both yummy in my tummy! My sushi arrived quickly -- also very delicious. The highlight of my meal was the vanilla mochi ice cream I ordered. I love mochi ice cream and was very excited to see it here. The mochi I got was mango, not vanilla, but still did a happy dance in my mouth. The whole meal was just perfect for me -- perfect amount of food, perfect price, and perfect arrival on my table. I only paid about $7!!!

Oh, but after I put my debit card in the checkbook, the unsmiling lady snapped something at me. I couldn't understand what she was saying, and she kept repeating it to me with an annoyed look on her face. A couple that had recently sat down at the bar near me were trying not to look at our conversation, but they were, and I was starting to get embarrassed. I finally pointed to my ears and shrugged. She rolled her eyes again, grabbed a piece of paper, and wrote "cash only under $10." OH. OK. I replaced the card with a $10 bill. When I got my change, I left a small tip and left as fast as I could.

A smiling lady did come up to me during all that and ask for my drink order (water). She was probably the only person in the place that made me feel like a valued customer. Everyone else made me feel like I was an annoying, unwelcome presence. I was not happy about that.

The food was good, but I'm hesitant to come back because of the lackluster customer service. Perhaps it was just a bad day to be there...

We had a dinner outing here, and I really liked this place, and will go with about 4.5 stars for I had.  I had the sushi/sashimi combo for $23.95 and it might have been the best value I've seen anywhere for quantity.  Wife had Bento Box A for $17.95, and again the mostest we've ever seen we think per dollar.  Others in the party had various rolls (quite large again), and chicken teriyaki. The rolls tried included rainbow dragon, sunset , and I Love Chicago.  I heard the chicken teriyaki was a bit dried out, so reviews will vary with the individual meal.  The sushi was not the best quality ever, but it was still very good I would say.  A few of the rolls were really packed with wasabi for example.  The dining space is small, so reservations recommended.  At one point, the entire place was filled.   The service was quick and friendly, and green tea and water replenished quite regularly.  We will be back for sure.