Sushi Haya

This new sushi place had their grand opening--I stopped in to scope it out for potential family meals.  The sticker price is pretty high, but they absolutely deliver value and I think they're going to do well.

Sushi Haya has an extensive menu--lots of sushi, hibachi, and Chinese dishes. They also have an all-you-can-eat option for $29.95 and I just had to try it.  Making the most of this option requires patience and strategy. It is not a buffet--they make most things fresh and discourage wasting food (besides, it's rude).  I didn't know what I was in for, but I learned from my experience and watched a couple of guys who were obviously regulars.  I'll try to pass some of that along here.

Many of the plates are small.  The salads and appetizers are single servings, the robata is one skewer (I'd estimate about 2.5 oz) and the hibachi is a small handful of pieces--the protein ones come with no vegetables. This encourages ordering a lot of different things, which is great. If it is busy you might want to order several items early--the regulars near me did that.  On the other hand, the sushi rolls are full-size and they won't make short ones (I asked), so that's better for sharing.

The servers bring items out when they're ready, so they will be making many trips to your table.  Treat them well.  I sampled soup, salads, robata, hibachi, sushi, and dessert, and all of it was excellent.  Beautifully presented, delicious, and you could tell how fresh it was.  I want to specifically shout out the Beef Tataki--sashimi beef in a spicy sauce that was absolutely fantastic and perfectly portioned.  And don't skip dessert.  They have tempura banana, oreo, and ice cream, as well as ice cream alone.  I had the tempura banana and loved it.  It was not too sweet and the tempura was crisp but heavy enough to hold up to the banana moisture.  I had it with green tea ice cream--if you haven't tried that it is a must.

If you're a light eater they have plenty of menu options that are priced in line with other restaurants.  But the all you can eat option is absolutely worth the money.

The decor inside is very attractive and upscale.  Quiet Japanese pop music and only one TV so you can talk to your dining partners.  The bathrooms were clean and ready, and the service was a major feature.  Can recommend it to anyone.

My Yelp Review

Don Agave

We tried this new place out for a family dinner the other night.  There are so many Tex-Mex places around that it's hard to stand out, but I think Don Agave is going to go high up on our list for this kind of food.

The chips and salsa give you a promising start.  The chips were fresh and appeared to be homemade.  The salsas were served warm--we got a traditional red and a creamy green one.  Both had great, rich flavor.  Very little warmth, so if you're looking for spice it's not there, but they didn't cheat and add a lot of chiles or hot sauce to develop flavor.

We had the ribeye tacos, fajita street tacos, the pollo campeche, carnitas, and cheese enchiladas for mains, and sopapillas for dessert.  The taco meat in both kinds of tacos was delicious, very tender and well-seasoned--might have been the same cut in each.  The carnitas were served fajita-style on a heated platter.  They were very good, not a lot of seasoning but very good texture with a nice combination of softer, fattier pieces and some with bark.  Most of the dishes came with rice and beans on the side, and I would say they were a little above average--good seasoning in both the beans and the rice.

The pollo campeche had good flavor but I would say it came out a little on the dry side--we didn't take any home.  Hard to get chicken breast just right.  I'd say the same for the cheese enchiladas, with less excuse--they also tasted a bit dry.  Decent and edible but not amazing.

They have a sopapilla cheesecake on the menu and we almost went with that, but stuck with traditional sopapillas.  They were well-executed and delivered warm.

Don Agave has an extensive drink menu and margarita flights, though we weren't drinking that evening.  The service was great, very prompt and friendly.  They have some TVs around the room with sports on, but the decor feels more rich and upscale.  The dining room has a traditional adobe-colored interior with appropriate decorations.  It's an enjoyable place to spend an evening.  We can definitely recommend it.

My Yelp Review

Burrito District

I stopped in to this new Cali-Mex place to see what the buzz is about.  I like to eat so I ordered big--a Surf 'n' Turf burrito with cheese fries, washed down with a Jamaica agua fresca.

I sampled the agua fresca while waiting for the order.  Some places call it Hibiscus tea, but to me it doesn't taste like a floral tea at all and I am glad.  It looks and drinks like grape juice, and I love grape juice.  Theirs was great.

The surf and turf burrito is stuffed with steak and shrimp in a nice light sauce.  It is serious food.  You can do curls with it.  The shrimp were cooked perfectly and had that great snap that really complemented the steak.  They have mild and spicy salsa to go with it, and I went with spicy.  It is seriously spicy.  I am somewhat more sensitive than average and a little went a long way, so if you are looking for spice they bring it.

The fries were an unexpected pleasure.  They serve battered fries cooked perfectly--great crunch on the outside, tender on the inside.  The fries had melted cheddar and a dusting of parmesan.  I couldn't stop munching on them.  I am getting the carne asada fries next time.  It is not that easy to find fries of this quality, definitely worth checking out.

The decor is completely basic--kind of reminds me of Five Guys.  One beer poster in the bathroom I chose.  And I had a choice--they have two non-gendered restrooms.  No gender-based waiting!  The bathroom was clean and ready when I was there.  

I can't find a thing wrong with it, and wish them well.

My Yelp Review