| Food | * * |
| Service | * * * |
| Ambience | * |
| Value | 4.0 |
| Cost | $ $ |
| Dish | Cost |
Value | Rating | |
| Gyoza | $5.75 |
* * | * * | |
| Chicken Teppan Meal | 12.95 |
* * | * * | |
| NY Steak Teppan Meal | 12.95 |
* * | * * |
From the street, Aomi Sushi is very bau haus decor, especially with the Tinkertoy-like pole design from the street, supporting the exterior sign. There is limited parking in front, but since we came early, there is plenty of parking. We wonder where one parks when they get really busy. The entryway is filled with a tacky waterwheel decorated with Christmas lights, and all along an upper ledge are endless amounts of trophies and award cups. We were given a choice of Booth or Teppan. The Booth side serves the standard Japanese fare, from sushi to sashemi to teriyaki; and the Teppan side finds one seated at a large grill table, under a ventilation system. The Teppan side menu consists of choice of meat or vegetable. J chose the chicken and I selected the NY Steak. In addition, we ordered some Gyoza to try.
The server started us out with some miso/broth with some isolated bits of mushroom and lettuce with a little flavoring. Then the "fun" began. Our chef came out with some prawns (appetizers) and began to grill them lightly on the table. It was a little strange for J and I to sit at this long table, isolated from the other tables and scrunched down at one end (in the dark, next to an area fan on high). The chef continued to cook, while commenting (in a style that I would expect from a Japanese chef spoof) about how rare my meat was ("still moo-ing") and flipping around and clacking together what appeared to be a salt & pepper shaker. It was clear that the whole idea of the Teppan grill was for show and our chef had all the "lines" down. He produced a dark ginger sauce (for the shrimp) and a mustard sauce (for the meat). The mustard sauce was bland and did not complement the meat as well as the ginger sauce. Our gyoza came in mid-meal and were delicious, if not a little greasy, and the spicy soy went well with the ginger sauce and the meat. We also received some green tea with our meal, which was a little too mild and lukewarm.
As a cook myself, I agree that presentation does a lot; however, if you seek a good meal with new taste sensations, Aomi Sushi is not the ideal place. For the price, a better meal might be had at an Italian family restaurant, followed by a movie or a quiet evening at home. If however, you don't really want to make conversation and want to watch your food prepared with flair and showmanship, by all means, try a place like Aomi or Benihana.