Who Wants Sushi???

Ok here's the situation, I love Sushi..I mean real Sushi. I have a small consortium of friends who enjoy it as well. So one of my girls Kaitlyn and I were having a good ol discussion about Fine Sushi establishments in the Riverside area. So I'm gonna give you the rundown on my favorite Sushi spots to hit up. My first experience with Sushi took place when I was in high school and I was tryna impress a certain young lady with my exotic palette for fine dining. I didn't know what I was getting myself into, hell I didnt even know how to use chopsticks, but I made it work. From there it was all down hill.

If you are ever in the CSUN area I recommend stopping at Kabuki Sushi - Northridge, CA on Reseda Blvd (Between Plummer and Lassen). No no no they are not incahouts with the one in Pasadena or Burbank, two totally different spots. Here's a first sign indicator if a Sushi spot is bomb...if the Yellow Tail is readily available and if so then its a 5 star joint. Fresh Yellow tail is the secret to knowing if a Sushi spot is good. I learned that from my Sushi connoisseur Mike Ikata, thank you. Kabuki Sushi ain't no joke..service excellent, prices are very reasonable, you can get Sushi for two for around $40 bucks. Definitely get the Spicy Tuna, Albacore and the Scallop Rolls. Only drawback on this spot is that its a true HIW (Hole In the Wall)..don't try to roll deep there, the wait will be quite long.

Next, sugarFISH - Marina Del Rey, CA on Admiralty Way. The one thing I like about this spot is that its open 7 days a week and is open late. Sushi to me is a finger food that you should be able to roll out at 830 or 9pm and go get a few rolls in ya with a Sapporo. sugarFISH is definitely that spot. This would actually be the spot I would tell any newbie Sushi eater to venture. The "Trust Me" menu is the ticket, it allows you to get yourself immersed into the Sushi culture with some Tuna Sashimi, classics Albacore (2-pcs), Salmon (2-pcs) and Yellowtail (1-pc) , then you step up to the Nozawa Shrimp roll and the Toro and Crab cut rolls (4-pcs each), you can get all of this with Edamame for about $25, not too shabby, plus you are right there on the Marina. For the experience sushi eaters definitely check out the Unagi...it's like butta baby!!! According to my boy Notcher, the Oyster Sashimi is the lick, next time im in the place to be I will down one for you dawg!!! My own personal drawback is the calorie count ont he backside of the menus...If I'm eating sushi, then I don't need to know the calorie intake, I'm freakin eating raw fish, its suppose to be healthy right? I'm not eating M&M Soul Food Turkey Wing dinner with greens, double mac n cheese with two corn muffins that's about 2000 calories right there, but damn good!!! Another eatery for another blogspot as I digress :).

Now that we have left the L.A. area and started to move Eastward back into the hub city of the 951 - RIVERSIDE!!!. I'ma drop some chronic places on that A$$. If you want a frat party-ish atmosphere for eating sushi then you want to hit up Joe's "All You Can Eat" Sushi - Riverside, CA on Magnolia one block west of Van Buren Blvd. That's right "All You Can Eat" for only $20..Ok before you start to knock it, please try it. $20 sushi, is not cheap, old or imitation sushi if there's a such thing. This is down right good ish right here. From the outside your looking at it like "Damn is this building condemned", but once the doors open and you hear the music thumping and the workers dancing around doing "sake bombs". You definitely will have the WTF look on your face, like did I step into a "Hot Tub Sushi Time Machine" Bottom line, Joe's has the best damn Eel and Albacore Nigiri in town. Now don't tell the waiter you want it spicy, because you might need some MOM (Milk of Magnesia) on your way home if your stomach ain't ready for it. Again, don't go to Joe's if you want a quiet prissy sit down dinner, you better be ready for the place to erupt when you walk in with Hellos from the Sushi chefs, you might even have a random someone ask you to take a shot with you. Hell you might even fight a fool or too...definitely an adventure nonetheless.

Sushi Station - (Van Buren Blvd) Riverside, CA you can either hit the one in Orangecrest/Woodcrest whatever it is or the one by UCR, they are pretty much the same spot. The one on Van Buren is bigger and can even accommodate private parties in private rooms. I can't stress this enough I love sushi and in Riverside, were good sushi places are few and far between, this has to get a high mark from me. Gold Dragon Roll, the Habanero Spicy Scallops (Off the hook) and of course the wicked Volcano roll. No matter what rolls or sashimi you get, don't forget to ask for the spicy mayo, its the equivalent to the cherry on top of each bite. I've been in here a few time by myself and have totally dropped about $40 on a plate of Salmon Sashimi, Spicy Scallops and Double Spicy Tuna roll, with Seeweed salad and Miso soup and a soda.

Last but not least is Oishii - (Magnolia Ave) Riverside, CA there's also another in Moreno Valley in the Ralph's shopping center behind Canyon Springs HS. This one I like because they had added on the AYCE Seafood & Sushi as well. They added on another room so now you can eat sushi & seafood while you listen to a live band play for you band heads!! Oishii has a great variety of sushi from you basic spicy tuna rolls to the dynamite and volcano rolls. One particular roll I have become very fond of is the Firecracker Roll - spicy scallops inside, spicy tuna on top...with a mix of wasabi and low sodium soy sauce...XXXplosive. Oishii offers an AYCE menu as well, which is great if you want to indulge on great sushi with friends, however there is a penalty for leaving leftovers...I've never been on that side of the stick so I cant tell you what it is. Another reason why I prefer the Magnolia location...FREE REFILLS on soft drinks...Mo Val, soft drinks are brought to you in a can and each can costs, so if you are not tryna run up a bar tab on soft drinks, hit the Magnolia Ave spot.

Here's a few honorable mention locales:
Sushi Kinoya - Moreno Valley, CA
Cabin Sushi - Riverside, CA
Ooka Japanese - Riverside, CA

Dont waste your time sushi:
Sushi Palms - Moreno Valley, CA

I'll holla!!!