Sushi Mashiko, You Surprised Me!

Sushi Mashiko
10726 Jefferson Blvd.
Culver City, CA
7.21.06 - Friday, 7 PM
Myself + 1 guest (Gay Hubbie RyRy)


There I was, deep in the throes of Culver City for what felt like the first time ever. This is not a 'hood I frequent in this fair town, so when it was time for dinner with my angel-friend Ry, I had to leave it up to him. We wanted sushi. He's not adventurous, I am. He'd done some CitySearch research on the place, saw a few fab reviews, and we thought - yes, Mashiko, we want that.

The place is in the obligatory strip mall - almost a sign that it'll be good, these days, as my fav fish joints normally reside in one. The ambiance of this place is AWFUL - so eighties, in the worst possible way, with washed out menu photos, fading polaroids, and all manner of dated decor. It also smelled a bit fishy back by the bathrooms - this worried me, but I said nothing. The show must go on.

The menu is a normal potpourri of hot plates (tempura, teryaki) and sushi basics. We didn't want anything cooked. Except the edamame. The service was annoying - they asked us 4 times in the span of 2 minutes if we were ready to order - we weren't. Each time. And then we called them over when we were, as the restaurant was almost empty. On a Friday night. Hmmm. And ohmagod did it take FOREVER to get our fish. We didn't order much, and did I mention the place was woefully dead? The sushi chef is a delightful looking fellow, but he took his sweet time. Woah nellie.

But the sushi? Land sakes it was GOOD! Read on :)


Drinks:

Just sodas - nothin' excitin'.

Appetizer:

Edamame
Boiled, bland, no salt, obviously old, not even warm anymore - HORRIBLE!

Sushi:

Salmon
Yellowtail
Albacore

**All were pretty high-quality and fresh, with FAT cuts - I was pleased to see they weren't skimpy at all. And the prices were low for this kind of generosity.

Rolls:

California Roll
Nothing special here - but 8 large pieces were served.

Spicy Tuna Roll
Weak - very small, not at all spicy. Did not care for this one.

Special Cucumber Roll
**With tuna, yellowtail, salmon, avocado, and rice, wrapped in a cucumber
This was GOOD but GIGANTIC! Couldn't even begin to finish this puppy, but it was quite yummy.

The damage for 3 sodas, 3 orders of sushi and 3 rolls was about $40, before tip.


RESTAURANT REPORT CARD

Ambiance - D-
Service - C-
Food (Taste) - C+
Food (Presentation) - C
Wine/Drinks - C
Value - B+
Overall Experience - C

Final word - For no frills, fat fish slices, it's fine. This would only be a place I'd duck into if I lived nearby.