Sushi Sho

 

Located at 2213 Cloverdale Avenue in Winston-Salem, Sushi Sho offers sushi and Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner daily. Online ordering and all-you-can-eat are available.

Now that High Point and Greensboro have multiple AYCE sushi options, it was only a matter of time before Winston-Salem got in on the act. The more, the merrier, and Sushi Sho clearly serves a need. That said, if you aren’t coming here specifically for flat-rate fish and rice consumption, there are better options.

Sushi Sho is reasonably spacious, which is a plus given how busy they keep. I stopped by for lunch around 12:30 on a Monday, and there was a fairly steady stream of customers before and after me. They seemed understaffed given the volume, but both the front-of-house staff and sushi chefs were hustling at a commendable rate. Tiffany (I think?) provided good service despite doing what looked like the work of at least two people.

Not wanting to commit to an AYCE experience just yet, I opted for a regular menu and took a seat at the bar. Pricing is another point in Sushi Sho’s favor. AYCE runs under $20 for lunch and under $30 for dinner. I went with the sushi roll lunch, which also proved plenty affordable: any two classic rolls with miso or salad for about $12. Even with the specialty rolls removed from the equation, there were plenty of appealing options. I ended up picking an Alaska roll and a spicy yellowtail roll.

 

Unfortunately, the food here was merely OK. The salad was mostly lettuce though the requisite ginger dressing didn’t disappoint. Typically, an Alaska roll is an “inside out” (fish on top) concoction, but not here. Composition aside, the salmon and avocado left no reason for complaint. However, the same cannot be said for the yellowtail roll. Dry rice, an absence of spice, and an abundance of crunch in the middle made this roll one I would avoid in the future.

If you have time and patience to spare, you can find a good value here, but on food alone, Sushi Sho is only so-so.

Shinjuku Station

 

Located at 5835 Samet Drive in High Point’s Palladium Shopping Center, Shinjuku Station offers conveyor belt sushi and Japanese cuisine. It is open from 11 a.m. -9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11-10:30 Friday and Saturday. Sake is available.

The Triad’s first conveyor belt sushi establishment, Shinjuku Station offers a unique dining experience. That experience won’t appeal to everyone, but for those not alienated by the drawbacks, this place has quite a bit to offer.

From the faux turnstiles at the entrance to the subway map on the ceiling to the conveyor belt “tracks,” Shinjuku Station leans heavily into a train theme. Add robot waiters (fear not: there are human servers as well) and vending machines, and you’ll feel temporarily transported to another world.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the emphasis on aesthetics masks mediocre, overpriced food, but many of Shinjuku Station’s offerings hold up better than you think. While the flat fee for all-you-can-eat isn’t cheap ($28 for dinner/$18 for lunch for adults and less for kids), even if you come hungry, you can very easily get your money’s worth here. The menu boasts apps, sides, hibachi entrees, nigiri sushi, and classic and specialty rolls. You can grab whatever passes by off of the conveyer belt or use your table’s tablet to order up to five items at a time from the kitchen. My wife and I tried a variety of items and were satisfied with most. The salmon and snapper nigiri tasted fresh and the Yip Yip, Green River, and Lady Shinjuki rolls all offered a nice balance of flavors. Only the spicy salmon (not spicy) and crab rangoon (oily) were disappointing.

 

While Cha(?) provided excellent service (and gave us an assortment of sauces), the kitchen was rather slow getting our first order out. The second, thankfully, came quite a bit more quickly. As you can imagine from the ambiance, this is a lively place, and while the energy skewed toward “fun” during our visit, I can imagine it gets quite noisy here during busier times.

If you like trying new things and are willing to abide a few quirks and delays, Shinjuku Station can offer a meal you will not easily forget. It may not be the best sushi around, but it’s more than just a gimmick.

Little Tokyo

Located at 4045 Premier Drive in High Point, Little Tokyo offers Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday and dinner on Saturdays (closed Sundays). Online ordering is available.

 

Sometimes, the best meals are the ones you weren’t expecting to have. My wife and I had hoped to check out a new all you can eat sushi place, but both it and the existing AYCE spot had lines out the door. After placing a call to Little Tokyo to confirm they too weren’t filled to capacity, we headed there for our sushi fix, and it made me regret not having visited sooner.

 

Little Tokyo boasts a pleasant, relaxing ambiance that made it a welcome refuge from the night’s rather intense rain. The menu here is Japanese (sushi, sashimi, hibachi, etc.) albeit with some Korean and Chinese influences. The selection of sushi rolls is extensive, and quite a few of them sounded intriguing. Admittedly, the Italian (a California roll topped with white fish, tomato sauce, and cheese) was a bridge too far even for me.

 

My wife and I came hungry and went with two apps (steamed gyoza and vegetable tempura), four rolls, and two misos. The food was, across the board, quite good. Whereas some miso can blast you with salt, Little Tokyo’s broth benefitted from an underlying richness. Our sushi was beautifully plated and tasted fresh. Of the rolls we tried, the Bulgoki (beef, crab, cucumber, and eel sauce) was my favorite.

 

Prices here are reasonable for the quality of the food (rolls in the low-mid teens, most apps under $10), and severs are polite. The kitchen isn’t lightning fast, but we didn’t find the wait unreasonable.

 

Based on ratings, I expected “good,” and based on hunger levels and a desire to be out of the rain, I would have settled for “OK.” Little Tokyo, however, ended up being surprisingly great.

Iso Iso Ramen & Boba

Located at 5835 Samet Drive at the Palladium Shopping Center in High Point, Iso Iso Ramen & Boba offers Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11-9 Sunday-Thursday and 11-10 Friday and Saturday. Online ordering is available.

 

High Point’s newest ramen spot is potentially also its best. At the very least, Iso Iso is the best equipped for dine-in. Décor is more than just functional here: the dark brick and woodwork is sleek and modern. Moreover, Iso Iso seemed to be well-staffed with folks who seemed to enjoy working there. A restaurant’s opening weeks can be stressful, and the absence of hangdog expressions or abject panic bodes well.

 

Iso Iso’s menu features Japanese apps, rice bowls, ramen, and boba teas. The latter two can be customized with add-ons and toppings. Whether you are a vegetarian or craving salty meat, like spicy or prefer mild, you should be able to find something here.

 

For our first visit, my wife and I split an order of Chashu Buns and a Tonkatsu Ramen (to which we added black garlic oil). Our food came out quickly, and the ramen was a plentiful portion. At $17, it was not the cheapest in town, but the execution made it worthwhile. The broth was rich, and flavorful, and the black garlic oil added another dimension that we didn’t realize we were missing. Toppings included pork belly, a marinated egg, mushrooms, bamboo, corn, and scallion, and they didn’t skimp on any of them. The Chashu Buns – good balance of refreshing and salty, excellent sauce – were a winning choice as well.

 

Boba/ramen/poke shops are no longer the novelty that they once were, but even in an increasingly competitive market, Iso Iso has the combination of fast and friendly service and well-executed food needed to make a name for itself. Here’s hoping it doesn’t tail off.

The Basil Leaf Thai & Sushi

 

Located at 2766 N.C. 68 at the Herron Village shopping center in High Point (with another location in Winston-Salem), The Basil Leaf offers Thai and Japanese cuisine for lunch (11-2:30 Tuesday through Friday and 12-3 Saturday and Sunday) and dinner (4:30-9 Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday and 4:30-9:30 Friday and Saturday). Food specials change regularly, there’s a lunch menu on weekdays, and alcohol is available.

 

High Point is home to so many Thai restaurants that even a Thai/sushi combo isn’t unique here. Amid such competition, it is hard to stand out though The Basil Leaf certainly gives it a good try.

 

Though not a large space, The Basil Leaf doesn’t lack for seating. The ambiance aims for classy without being stuffy and largely succeeds. Service was attentive throughout our meal.

 

The Basil Leaf’s menu features a variety of Japanese (appetizers, sushi, and teriyaki/hibachi entrees) and Thai (appetizers, soups, salads, curries, noodles, and more) offerings. There were no unexpected finds, but if you know the cuisine well enough to know what you want, you’ll likely find it here.

 

I had a Pad Thai craving and, my wife and I ended up going with a chicken Pad Thai, a beef pineapple fried rice, and a Crab Rangoon starter. The food was tasty (good amount of sauce on the noodles and sweetness balanced with curry notes in the fried rice), and The Basil Leaf will match your desired spice level. While the plating aims for aesthetic sophistication (i.e. carrots cut into a flower shape), serving the rice in a rectangular block was an odd touch. Both entrees were generously portioned. At $15 and $17, neither broke the bank though the prices are a bit higher than the nearest competitor.

 

All told, The Basil Leaf isn’t likely to become my favorite Thai eatery, but it is one that I would feel no qualms about coming back to. 

Hakkachow

Located at 615 St. George Square Court in Winston-Salem, Hakkachow offers Asian fusion cuisine for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. There is a full bar as well as daily drink specials. Online ordering and online reservations are available.

 

Much like Phoenix Asian Cuisine in Greensboro, Hakkachow calls to mind a non-corporate P.F. Chang’s, only better. The restaurant is modern and spacious with plenty of seating to go around. The menu skews Chinese though there are Korean and Thai offerings as well as a sushi/poke menu as well. While there is something to be said for the comfort of familiarity, that menu, save for a few of the sushi rolls, offers no surprises. Everything you’ll find here, you’ve likely already had elsewhere.

 

My wife and I opted to start with one of the unique rolls (Cajun Revolution: tempura shrimp, cream cheese, and jalapeno inside/Cajun salmon, tuna, yellowtail, crispy shallot, aioli, and eel sauce outside), followed by a veggie fried rice (with homemade chili oil) and Singapore noodles, respectively. Our app came quickly, and we didn’t have long to wait for our entrees either though service slowed considerably as the restaurant got busier. However, our server remained courteous, apologetic, and unflappably professional through it all.

 

The kitchen proved to be on its game as well. On paper, the Cajun Revolution seemed almost too much, but it made for a tasty bite: spicy, crunchy, and flavorful. Singapore noodles are one of my go-to dishes for Chinese and Asian fusion, and Hakkachow’s version didn’t disappoint. While not the best I’ve had, the composition, flavors, and aroma were all there. The fried rice was likewise well-executed, and it contained a variety of veggies, but it wasn’t leaps and bounds ahead of what you can get elsewhere.

 

Hakkachow’s entrees run large, which helps take the sting out of the mid-teens pricing. On the one hand, that is hardly unreasonable for a nice meal out. On the other hand, depending on how you feel about your favorite Chinese takeout joint, the extent to which Hakkachow’s food surpasses it may or may not justify the extent to which Hakkachow’s prices do.

 

All told, Hakkachow promises competently made food in a pleasant environment. It might lack a distinctive “wow” factor, but it doesn’t seem likely to let you down, either. 

Poke One

 

Located at 4835 West Wendover Avenue in Jamestown, Poke One offers poke and ramen for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11 to 9 on weekdays and 11:30 to 9 on weekends. Online ordering is available.

 

Poke-and-ramen seems to be the High Point area’s latest restaurant trend, and while Poke One loses some of the novelty by not getting there first, it otherwise seems poised to hold its own. Housed in the former Rockaway Eatery location, it’s clean, colorful, and spacious. The menu boasts a few Japanese apps (edamame, Takoyaki, shumai, and, oddly enough, fries) as well as milk and fruit teas, but poke (in bowl or burrito form) and ramen are the core offerings. There are about a half-dozen varieties of each, and you can also build your own of the former. Poke One wisely supplies paper menus that can be filled out to make BYO ordering efficient and convenient.

 

For our first visit, my wife and I each got a build your own poke bowl and a milk tea (taro and strawberry, respectively). Our orders were completed very quickly, and the brightly colored bowls looked amazing. Fortunately, the flavors matched the presentation. I went with a mixture of hot (spicy salmon, spicy mayo), sour (pickled ginger, pickled radish), and sweet (mango). Add to that some cucumber for refreshment, and the bowl was nicely balanced. The ingredients were also fresh, and they don’t skimp on quantity here. The tea was rather sweet, however. Next time, I’ll go with a classic rather than a fruit flavor.

 

What sets Poke One apart from other local options is the competitive pricing. At $11.95 for a poke bowl and $5.70 for a milk tea with bubbles, Poke One is cheaper than either Poke Dream or Ninja Café/Kung Fu Tea.

 

Poke One may not be an innovator, but being able to provide fresh, tasty food quickly makes it a welcome addition nevertheless.

Qinji Hawaiian BBQ & Ramen

Located at 2224 Golden Gate Drive in the Golden Gate Shopping Center in Greensboro, Qinji HawaiianBBQ and Ramen offers Hawaiian and Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11-9 Tuesday-Friday, noon-9 on Saturday, and closed Sunday. Online ordering is available.

Our group of four ended up at Qinji when the wait at Mizumi proved too long, but this proved to be the epitome of a happy accident. Cosmetically, Qinji is quite an upgrade from the previous ZC Hawaiian: the interior is tasteful and clean. The menu boasts many tantalizing options from predominantly Japanese apps to more than ten kinds of ramen to rice and noodle dishes to Hawaiian specialties. Vegetarians won’t be hard-pressed to find something here though the meat-eaters among you can take in everything from kalbi to Spam.

It was the first visit for all of us, and we got to experience a variety of dishes: calamari, Takoyaki, spam musubi, veggie roll, Hawaiian pineapple chicken, loco moco, and a combo (katsu fried shrimp and fish and grilled beef). Portions were plentiful, and, as the entrees included rice and salad (green or macaroni) for under $15, quite affordable. While the musubi and the loco moco may conjure some odd associations for anyone who grew up with Spam or Salisbury steak, the food was largely a hit. The beef was flavorful, the seafood was well-breaded without being bone dry, and the dipping sauces complemented the apps nicely. Even though the green salad was little more than lettuce with a few shredded carrots, a terrific mango dressing (bright, crisp, and citrusy) elevated it.

Qinji is nowhere close to home, and while that may preclude me from becoming a regular here, it is definitely a place I will look forward to coming back to during future excursions to northern Greensboro.

Poke Dream

 

Located at 274 Eastchester Drive #178 in High Point, Poke Dream offers poke and Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11 a.m. (noon on weekends) to 9:30 p.m. daily. Online ordering is available.

 

From gourmet cheesecake to now poke and ramen, this plaza on Eastchester is certainly getting interesting. Poke Dream is housed in a former Chinese takeout spot, and like its predecessor, it offers little seating. There, however, is where the similarities end. Bright, clean, and inviting, Poke Dream boasts friendly staff and an impressive menu. The appetizer offerings include various salads and dumplings while the poke bowl options let you fully customize your own (though the seven signature bowls are well worth investigating if you’re feeling indecisive). Moreover, Poke Dream offers ramen, a rarity for High Point. There’s even mochi ice cream for those who want a change-of-pace dessert.

 

I put in an online order for a seafood bowl (salmon, tuna, shrimp, crab salad, cucumber, carrot edamame, sweet soy, and spicy mayo) with a few apps and sides (crab Rangoon, char siew bao, and spicy Thai noodles) to share. Online ordering was convenient, and food was ready when it was supposed to be.

 

My poke bowl was a definite winner. The ingredients were fresh, the sauces imparted plenty of flavor, and everything mixed well. The portion size is certainly respectable though the fact that Ninja Café offers up more for less money with miso included calls into question its value.

 

Poke Bowl made a decidedly positive first impression, and I look forward to trying the ramen as the weather cools.

Kaya

 Located at 3925 Sedgebrook Street in High Point, Kaya offers Korean and Japanese cuisine. Lunch specials are available.

 

Tucked into a shopping center off 68 near the High Point-Greensboro border, Kaya hits a number of hidden gem checkboxes: it’s unassuming and easily overlooked, it’s family-run and popular among locals, and the food is, by and large, good. That said, I would hesitate to give this place a rave.

 

A no-frills establishment, Kaya is nevertheless quiet and clean. It offers a familiar selection of hibachi dishes, but Korean is the main draw here. A large, pictorial Korean menu greets you upon entry. For those seeking authenticity, dishes like spicy squid or braised pig trotters let you know that you are in the right place.

My wife and I opted to split a seafood pancake, a bimimbap, and a spicy pork. As expected, they came with an array of banchan, and portions were plentiful. Though food quality varied, nothing was worse than average. The spicy pork was delicious. It was served hot with onions and slathered in a delectable sauce. The seafood pancake’s dough-to-seafood ratio favored the former though it was still tasty. That said, the bimimbap was a mixed bag. I appreciated the array of vegetables included though it was fairly light on meat. It also was not served sizzling, but that was my fault for not realizing that I needed to order the dol sot (stone pot) version.

 

Staff here are polite, but they will leave you alone unless you specifically request something. Chalk it up to custom rather than any kind of intentional indifference. For what Kaya charges (entrees in the teens), the plastic silverware and styrafoam cups felt like penny-pinching.

 

The variety of Kaya’s offerings and the quality of the spicy pork alone make me want to give this place another chance, but I would probably opt for takeout rather than dine-in in the future.

Sushi Kingdom

 

Located at 5872 Samet Drive in the Palladium Shopping Center in High Point, Sushi Kingdom offers sushi and Japanese cuisine. All-you-can eat sushi and online ordering are available. Sushi Kingdom is open from 11-3 and 4:30 to 10 on weekdays and 12-10 on weekends.

The presence of several existing establishments in the near vicinity made Sushi Kingdom’s debut a headscratcher, but the minute all you can eat was unveiled, it became a game-changer. AYCE previously required a long-ish trek to northern Greensboro, so having such an option close by is a welcome relief. You’re getting more than just quantity here, however, as Sushi Kingdom has some of the best sushi in High Point.

First, a caveat: Sushi Kingdom fills up easily. It’s housed in a former Moe’s that is probably too small for its operation. We stopped by on a Monday night and encountered a wait (arrive early if you’re planning a weekend visit). Due to that busyness, our constantly-hustling server felt like she was doing the jobs of three people. She was great, but don’t be surprised if you get a “Did you order this?” query or two from the beleaguered staff.

That bit of chaos aside, Sushi Kingdom otherwise offered an excellent early birthday meal. My wife and I both went for AYCE at $29 per person, and it was worth it. Sushi Kingdom offers a variety of kitchen apps, hibachi dishes, classic and specialty rolls. We tried the edamame, crab rangoons, tempura vegetables, miso, and several classic and specialty rolls. 

There were no misses in the bunch. It may have been the coolness of the evening, but the miso was especially satisfying. The sushi tasted fresh, and they didn’t skimp on the sizing. Our favorite was the Diamond Roll (salmon, eel, avocado, and crab deep fried and topped with spicy crab and ponzu sauce) though anyone wanting a change of pace should look into the Summer Mango (mango, avocado, and cucumber topped with salmon and mango sauce). The sweetness paired well with the other roll’s heat.

 

While Sushi Kingdom does place a two-hour time limit on AYCE, we felt no pressure during our meal. They explained the “rules” (leftovers = extra charge) at the beginning and let us eat in peace. Though the staff were, as mentioned, working up a storm, they remained cordial throughout.

Defying the odds, Sushi Kingdom shows that you can do all you can eat without sacrificing quality. I look forward to a return visit. Come early, and come hungry.

Yumi Sushi Tea Sake

 

Located at 275 North Elm Street in the Stock and Grain Food Hall, Yumi offers Japanese food and drinks. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Monday-Thursday), 9:30 (Saturday) or 7 (Sunday).

 

Yumi, like its Stock and Grain neighbors, is a fairly new addition to High Point’s dining scene. That recency begets a certain need for patience as the eatery gains its footing, but even with that consideration in mind, this place was a bit disappointing.

 

Positives first: for its compact size, Yumi boasts an impressive menu. It offers everything from apps (think gyoza and edamame) to sushi (nigri, sashimi, maki, and specialty rolls) to poke bowls/burritos (a half-dozen presets, and you can build your own) to bubble teas and slushes to sakes, beers, and cocktails. Staff here are pleasant, and they had no trouble taking our order correctly despite the noise of the bustling food hall.

 

That said, be prepared to wait, and be prepared to pay. My wife and I went with a burrito and a bowl, respectively, and waited at least a half hour. Yumi’s staff were definitely not slacking but were simply struggling to keep up with demand. When the food was finally ready, it did little to justify its price tag. The $14.50 bowl was a decent sized portion, more expensive than Ninja Café’s equivalent offering, but you would expect to pay a bit more for location here. The same-priced sushi burrito, however, was a great deal smaller than either Ninja Café’s or Toshi’s version, and the same lack of value is suggested by Yumi’s specialty roll pricing (most are $17).

 

To Yumi’s credit, the ingredients were fresh, and both items were prepared as requested. The mango and pickled radish and ginger in my bowl made for a colorful presentation, and the sweet and acidic flavors played off each other really well.

 

I wouldn’t rule out a future visit to Yumi especially after they have had time to get settled. The food quality and menu variety are enough to keep that door open. Just the same, its pricing and an underwhelming first visit mean that I won’t be hurrying back. 

Bamboo Grille

 

Located at 112 East Parris Avenue in High Point, Bamboo Grille offers Chinese and Japanese cuisine. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day except Tuesday. Online ordering is available via QMenu.

 

In the works for quite some time, Bamboo Grille’s High Point location recently opened to enthusiastic reviews from the local Facebook contingent. The photos accompanying said reviews were perplexing to say the least as they suggested standard Americanized Chinese takeout fare. Of course, food can often taste much better than it looks. Sadly, however, that was not the case here.

 

Bamboo Grille boasts a large menu featuring most of the classic takeout staples: apps, soups, lo mein, fried rice, and so on (but sadly no cold sesame noodles). The restaurant also offers hibachi/teriyaki dishes and a sushi menu, albeit with no surprises among either the Chinese or Japanese offerings.

 

I stuck to the Chinese side for my first order. Anticipating several meals’ worth of leftovers for the two of us, I went with crab rangoons, wonton soup, mapo tofu with beef lo mein in place of rice, honey chicken, and house special fried rice for takeout. Prices are a bit higher here relative to other takeout places, but you get plenty of food for your money.

 

Pickup went without a hitch – everything was ready to go and still hot when I got there – but the food was largely a disappointment. Much of it was bland, and even the advertised-as-spicy mapo tofu brought little heat. Textures were another issue: the rangoons were thick and doughy and the fried rice was slightly mushy with large chunks of meat. The one standout dish was the least authentic of the lot. Reminiscent of a chicken donut, the honey chicken was addictively good.

 

That dish aside, Bamboo Grille offers nothing that can’t be found better elsewhere. Unless the kitchen steps up its game, this place is a one-and-done for me.

Ninja Cafe/Kung Fu Tea

 

Co-located at 5815 Samet Drive at the Palladium in High Point, Ninja Café and Kung Fu Tea are the Japanese fast casual and bubble tea franchise (respectively) sides of the same business. The establishment is open from 11 to 9 (9:30 on weekends) daily. An app with a built-in loyalty/rewards program is available, and limited-time tea flavors change regularly.

 

Kung Fu Tea

A rare commodity elsewhere, bubble tea is hard to avoid in High Point. Even so, Kung Fu Tea sets itself apart by offering a nearly overwhelming number of options. You can choose from classic, fruit, and milk teas and customize them (size, hot or cold, sweetness levels, bubble toppings, etc.) to the hilt. Throw in some intriguing seasonal options (strawberry cream, brown sugar, and rosehip pineapple in addition to the requisite pumpkin), and it's hard to NOT find something here. Of course, some trial and error may be involved in arriving at a favorite.

We went with a rosehip pineapple tea during our most recent visit. It was sweeter than expected, but the pineapple's acidity tempered that somewhat, and the tapioca bubbles are quality. The staff here have never been anything but polite, and pricing ($3-4.50 for most of the teas and a bit more for slushes) is fair.

Anyone in search of a refreshing beverage near the Palladium shouldn't sleep on this place.

 

Ninja Cafe

Though it offers a small selection of appetizers (gyoza, tataki, takoyaki), sushi rolls, and even sushi burritos, Nina Cafe's biggest draw, as with the tea side of the house, is its customizability. For $8 or $11 respectively, you can build your own cooked or poke bowl including your choice of rice (sushi or brown), proteins, veggies, toppings (for the poke bowl), and sauces. The portions are filling (a bowl can feed two), and miso is included.

While everything tasted fresh, this isn't the best poke I've had (Greensboro's Poke Bowl offers better execution of a similar concept) though it is fairly satisfying. Be forewarned that custom bowls do take a bit of time to prepare.

If your basis of comparison is your favorite traditional Japanese restaurant, Ninja Cafe will fail to impress. But as a quicker, cheaper, more casual alternative, it acquits itself well.

Little Ari's Japanese Kitchen

Located at 4129 Spring Garden St. in Greensboro, Little Ari’s Japanese Kitchen serves Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner. The establishment is open from 11-9 Monday-Saturday and 11:30-9 on Sunday.

Greensboro is home to several hibachi restaurants that serve largely interchangeable meat/veggie/rice plates for under $10. Little Ari’s has them too, but this casual offshoot of the more upscale Arigato’s Japanese Steak and Seafood House offers more than a few novel touches as well. It’s an ambitious attempt to bridge the gap between hole-in-the-wall hibachi joints and full-on Japanese restaurants albeit not an entirely successful one.

Outside and in, Little Ari’s is deceptively spacious. The large lot offers plenty of parking, and the clean, modern interior plenty of seating. Little Ari’s operates on counter service: place your order at the register, receive a pager, and pick up when it buzzes. There were plenty of orange-shirted staff on hand at the time of our visit, and they seemed accommodating and concerned with diner satisfaction, a definite plus.

Little Ari’s menu both encompasses and transcends hibachi norms. The requisite hibachi bowls are accounted for, featuring your choice of chicken, shrimp, salmon, steak, tofu, or different combinations thereof as well as a few katsu (breaded) options. You can then choose between steamed or fried rice and pick from among four different sauces. While edamame and gyoza are expected finds, Little Ari also boasts ramen (chicken, soy, or tonkotsu/pork), onigiri (rice balls), and beef curry, options that help distinguish it from other establishments of this type.

For our first visit, my wife and I opted for a chicken katsu hibachi, a pork tonkatsu ramen, and an onigiri (tuna mayo and shrimp katsu) apiece. We didn’t have too long to wait before our pager started buzzing though not everything was ready all at once. The food had both hits and misses. On the plus side, the katsu chicken was cooked well - it held its breading without being dried out – and there was plenty of it. The ramen was a generous portion as well, and the broth, though understated (next time, I’ll opt for spicy), had the right flavor profile. Both onigiri were satisfying too. Though billed as rice balls, they are more akin to hot sushi pockets, seaweed-wrapped envelopes of tastiness that proved the highlights of the meal. On the other hand, the hibachi vegetables, listed as zucchini and onions, contained far more of the latter than the former, the ramen was a bit light on meat, and the katsu’s tonkatsu sauce lacked the expected hints of sweetness.

Little Ari’s pricing is similarly a mixed bag. $10 for a heaping bowl of ramen is a good deal even if it isn’t up to Tampopo’s standards. Hibachi entrees range from $8.50 to the teens for a regular/full portion depending on the proteins, and while it isn’t a meager portion, it is also priced slightly higher than what hibachi places usually charge. Two sauces are free with a hibachi purchase while any additional are $1.25 each for a small cup thereof. I understand the need to cut down on wastefulness, but this comes across as unduly stingy.

Ultimately, Little Ari represents both the best and the worst of the two worlds it inhabits. It offers more customization and more options than the typical hibachi joint and lets patrons get their ramen fix in a convenient fast casual environment, but it is also a bit pricier than said hibachi joints without matching the quality of a Tampopo or a Don. Friendly service and the presence of onigiri, however, make it worth at least a try.