Okay, so there’s no restaurant reviewer on the Daily Echo, so I thought I’d step in and divulge my gastronomic conquests…
The hipster holdout known as SUSHI CONFIDENTIAL (Downtown Campbell) has been open for about 6 weeks, now. I thought it would be good time to stop by and review, as it’s past the crucial one-month point, so they should have their sea-legs on, right?
Here’s the pro’s:
• Open till Midnight! Every night! (yay!)
• Great interior design, very modern
• Unique combinations of flavors… a big plus!
However, they loose out on several levels:
• SPEED: The service is so damn slow, that you might as well order, and then run to another sushi joint for a quick bite while you are waiting. We are talking, a near 30 min to get ONE roll of sushi… So, “Open till Midnight” may mean that you will have to wait that long for your meal.
• SERVICE: What’s the hold up? Well, the waitresses seemed to be aloof and quite honestly, confused over the order-taking process. They even forgot the Ginger & Wasabi, and I had to ask for it 3 times (really?)!
• EFFICIENCY: The Sushi chefs, appear to be more interested in looking cool, than speeding up their service. They were slow as paint drying, and in the process of hand making the sushi, they cut every single item by hand. Can’t these guys prep their kitchen by pre-slicing jalapenos, or something?
• EXECUTION: Part of the joy of eating sushi is: Tightly compartmentalized sections of sushi that do not fall apart when you pick them up. Every piece served at Sushi Confidential, required the skill of a brain surgeon on a tight rope! So much hand-eye coordination, just to get the sushi from the plate to the soy-sauce… not mention the shrapnel left in the soy dish afterwards.
This place is too hip, for it’s own good. If you are into paying $15 per roll and $3-$7 for basic amenities (soup, edamame, etc), while listening to a mix of sterilized techno pop tunes from Katie Perry and Lady Gaga, knock yourself out! As for me: after having spent near $100 on dinner for 2, I expect WAAAAY better service and a dining experience with a faster tempo.
If these guys want to stay afloat on the sushi boat, they need to become more efficient at delivering the catch of the day… otherwise, they may stay “Sushi’s best kept secret”
#Lucky7
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Might I also mention that this place is owned by the same guy who owns the Cardiff Lounge, who refuses to admit anyone with anything other than a driver’s license because he doesn’t want quote, “certain kinds of people” frequenting his establishment? that’s right, folks, if you’ve ditched your car and your license and your car in favor of an ID and the Light Rail or bus, or maybe you just can’t afford a car, but still wanna have a good time in DT Campbell consider yourself not welcome at the Cardiff, because you’re one of those “certain kinds of people”. Y’know, either socially conscious, or more to the point, poor, and therefore socially inferior and unwelcome. Tell your friends to vote with their dollar (and you with yours) and boycott both the Cardiff and Sushi Confidential, and if anyone’s up for a picket line at either (or both, for that matter) on a Friday or Saturday night, holla. #ThaPink
