Sushi California

Alright, have you ever put something out to defrost and then subsequently left it out all night? Well, that's what I did. I left the pork chops out all night and there went tonight's dinner. What am I to do? Solution: go get takeout. Fried chicken? Oily. Pizza? Oily. Chinese Food? Oily. Alright, I finally decided on the ol' standby - sushi. This was actually a blessing in disguise (aren't they all?). I really had wanted to try Sushi California located on North Road at Austin in Coquitlam. So after work, I made a slight detour and headed over for some take out sushi. There have been practically unanimous reviews proclaiming that Sushi California is a good value. Good portions and decent food at reasonable prices. However, service seems to be the one constant negative.

I pulled up to the corner mall and noticed that it was quite full. This is already late in the afternoon. As I entered the restaurant, it was bustling with customers who were dining in and picking up orders. If it is this busy during this time, imagine how busy it is during peak hours. After a slight wait at the counter, I made my order. Undecided at what to get, I asked the server what is a roll she'd recommend. She told me to order the Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Roll. I made a face and explained I didn't like cream cheese. She fired back, "Well, you asked me!" Sorry... I don't like cream cheese in my sushi. After deciding on the Smoked Salmon Roll (sans cream cheese), Alaska Roll, Dragon Roll and a variety of nigiri sushi, I sat down for a short wait.

During the wait, I noticed that it stayed constantly busy. This is a good sign, especially in terms of freshness. High volume usually results in high turnover of the product; thus consistently fresh ingredients. My order actually was completed well under 10 minutes and I was on my way. Upon opening the boxes at home, I was pleasantly surprised at the size of the sushi. Moreover, there were 8 pieces of the Alaska roll; instead of the standard 6 pieces. Taste-wise, the sushi was indeed fresh and delicious. I wouldn't say it was great sushi; but it was definitely good sushi. If you factor in price and portion size, Sushi California is an excellent value.

The Good:
- Good portions
- Fresh product
- Inexpensive

The Bad:
- Service seemed basic and rushed (as I observed while waiting)
- Small place, a long lineup is likely

Business Hours:
11:30am - 9:30pm (Mon - Thu)
12:00pm - 9:50pm (Fri & Sat)
12:00pm - 8:50pm (Sun)