Lee L.
Yelp
When I first moved to the Bay Area over 20 years ago, Fuki Sushi used to be a place where ate at least once every couple of months. We lived close by , so it was convenient for us to just walk to the restaurant. Over the course of several years, however, we noticed a decline in the food quality and an increase in prices as they strove to become more upscale. In tandem, the service seemed to worsen - more surly, more impatient. We stopped coming here about 7 or 8 years ago after one last less-than-ideal experience.
Recently, some visiting family members expressed a strong interest in coming here. We tried to suggest several other locations that we've been frequenting recently, but to no avail. They recalled their experience from about 15 years ago and wanted to go back. So, we mentally prepared myself for another disappointing evening and met them at the restaurant.
Well, I was pleasantly surprised. For one, the service is tremendously improved compared to what we experienced many years back. The hostess greeted us enthusiastically (I'm guessing that she had a broad smile behind her mask) and brought us to the table where the rest of our party was waiting. Servers immediately came to the table to provide us with menus and offer us tea. Throughout the meal they checked on us regularly to make sure that we had everything that we desired.
We ordered a variety of dishes for our meal that evening:
Fried oysters - a single order is 4 oysters that were small to medium in size. Breaded and deep fried, nicely crisp. Probably needed to have a second order though.
Hamachi roll - a bit on the small side, but the hamachi quality was good.
Rainbow roll - a pretty standard dish at most sushi restaurant. This was perhaps not much different but the cuts of sashimi on top were a little thicker than standard, which was appreciated. They put a sear on the ahi, however, which I haven't seen before. I would have preferred it completely uncooked.
Spider roll - nice meaty softshell crab, better than most. The fry on this was pretty good.
Tempura udon - good flavor to the broth, noodles were a little on the overdone side.
Tempura soba - again, the noodles were a little overdone. For this and the udon, they could have been a little more generous with the tempura vegetables.
Mixed tempura - for the price, this was smaller than expected. Three prawns plus a small assortment of vegetables.
Hamachi collar - grilled and lightly seasoned. The fish was generally moist throughout and the flavor was excellent. This was probably the best dish of the evening.
Chicken katsu - typical breaded chicken breast. Crispy, juicy, and not too oily. The dipping sauce was a little too thick and salty, however.
Overall, the food quality was very good and about what I'd expect for any sushi restaurant worth its salt. For the prices we paid, however, I was hoping for something a little more elevated. It was a elegant dining experience, no doubt about that - the restaurant is beautiful, atmosphere is relaxing, and the service was excellent - but it is a very expensive meal. It was great to return to see how this place has evolved to again become the fine establishment that we knew from 20 years ago, but this will only be an occasional indulgence for us in the future.