Angela M.
Yelp
After a brief walk down Santa Monica Pier, we decided on a whim to do dinner at one of the restaurants across the street and went with Sushi Roku. It was a very warm weekend so we were seated in the outdoor patio area. It was kind of a tight fit (the tables are really smashed together in some of the corners out there), but we managed. Service was slow to start and we were seated for long enough without any interactions from a waiter or waitress that we'd all pretty much settled on our order before we finally got served water and greeted. But our waitress was nice, so that made up for the wait a bit.
I went with the American wagyu gyoza ($22), the hakata ramen ($18), and the tuna jalapeno roll ($25). Everything was absolutely delicious, but in particular the tuna jalapeno roll. That was one of the best sushi rolls I've ever had. Not only were the flavors fantastic -- spicy tuna, avocado, tuna sashimi, yuzu olive oil, and cilantro -- but the fish was incredibly fresh. That disappeared pretty fast. I wasn't sure how good the ramen would be but would definitely order it again. The broth was rich, the noodles were cooked perfectly, and the pork was tender and flavorful. The gyoza were a little on the small side, but the wagyu inside was great.
We were a group of four and we all loved our dishes, but one of the party ordered the chilean seabass and the carrots included with the dish were totally raw. They liked everything else about the meal, but weren't impressed by the hard, raw carrots.
All in all this was a solid meal and much better than I was expecting. If I find myself in Santa Monica again, I'd be happy to return.