Jessica C.
Yelp
I'm appending/updating my first review, which I'm leaving below the ***. However, they deserve more than 3 stars, so I'm editing.
First of all, Coast now employs Jane, a 5/5 server - kind, charming, articulate, knowledgeable. I recommend asking for her if you go in. She stands out.
Second, the food & drinks, which I always consider most important. Perhaps it would help if I gave a detailed report out on my dinner this past Saturday
Ginger, Pear Blushing Geisha and Cucumber martinis - they do make lovely, crisp, tasty martinis. Ginger and pear were the best - least sweet and most clean flavors. Blushing Geisha and the Cucumber were on the sweet side for me, wouldn't order again, but if you like strawberry, try the geisha.
Wasabi Shumai - fine (3.5/5), but could use a bit more seasoning, and there was no wasabi taste. Sauce was good, and I enjoyed them served on the cucumber slice. Wish the pork were more finely ground.
Salmon Spring Roll (3/5) Wouldn't order again. It was just a piece of salmon (a good one though) fried in a thin spring roll wrapper. The sauce was sweet, a decent compliment. Not bad, but not a stand out
Rock Shrimp Salad (5/5) - excellent. Hot & cold, crunchy and creamy. Yum - order this!
Wasabi Maki - (4.5/5) they do a lovely job on the asparagus, which adds a nuttiness and a crunch. Note it's not hot at all, so the name is deceiving. Hamachi can be one of the more fishy fish, but it wasn't.
Salmon Cucumber Maki - (4/5) like the asparagus in the wasabi roll, they do a great job with the cucumber in this one. Salmon had a nice texture, no complaints on quality
Spicy Creamy - (2/5) very bland, somehow. Tuna was not in pieces, but chopped which did not lend to a firm texture.
I didn't try anyone else's entrees, so can't comment on theirs -- the Uni looked fresh, however, sometimes it's squishy. As always with all the food, lovely presentation
Finally, I maintain it's too expensive. I almost always spend about 150 for 2 for 2 drinks each, 1-2 appetizers and dinner. No dessert. I'd be much more inclined to frequent the establishment if the prices were lower, although I suspect that it's due to the high rent/taxes in Evanston, which is a shame. I guess you can't blame them, but it does keep me away.
***
To be clear, I would would absolutely eat here again, and the quality of the fish is not in question. However, a restaurant has to do at least something special to get 4 stars, and has to knock me out of the park for 5. Here, the food was very expensive - we wound up spending 120 for 2...that's a lot of money considering I can do the same at another sushi restaurant for 80. We were dining in a group of 9 and we split the bill. We did accommodate one couple of the 9 who didn't drink nor eat any of the 4 apps we ordered and I think they only spent about 40 total.
The server was a young woman who clearly didn't know what she was doing; we asked her specific questions about preparations and alcohols, and she really just didn't know. I actually felt kind of bad for her - she should be better trained to understand what goes into sushi and the specials.
Our dining companions all enjoyed their food, and again, I'm not really complaining, I'm just saying it's not a stand out.