Quote :

"Sono - Creative rolls, shit sashimi. When I went there the sashimi didn't taste fresh at all and the overall meal was expensive. C- Sushi-Thai (Cary) - Creative rolls, decent sashimi, reasonable prices, shit sake selection. Their lobster bomb is the bomb, but also 16 bucks. B+ Sushi-Thai (Raleigh) - Went there once when I was hammered. No opinion. Tasu- BOGO rolls are awesome, didn't have the sashimi. If you're looking to just have shit in it with tempura bits and spicy mayo, this is the place to go. The rolls are good, plentiful and cheap. A- Waraji - Very, very good sashimi. Rolls are a bit meh (unless you give the Sushi chef some free reign and they make something up on the spot.) Excellent sake selection. A Little Tokyo (Cary) - Went there last weekend. The rolls were subpar with what you'd expect, nothing crazy. Fairly cheap prices, plus you get free shit all the time because the owners are Korean (which giving free shit to customers is their culture.) B- Domo (Cary) - This used to be the only Conveyor belt sushi place in the area, then the gave up on the conveyor belt...oh well. Somewhat elevated prices, decent sake selection, limited sashimi section. But holy shit are their rolls huge. We got one (The Maynard) that would have easily been a meal for a person. The rolls were good and creative and very big. B+"

Sounds about right.

Also, Sushi Tsune used to be pretty good but has gone downhill in fish quality. Bentos there are still good though.

10/14/2010 3:54:02 PM

whats the name of the place on western and when does it open?

11/17/2010 6:01:12 PM

Sushi 9, but I'm not sure when it opens. The place where Ten-Ten used to be?

The dining halls did a sushi lunch thing today... it was DISGUSTING. I mean, I don't have high hopes for university dining, but still... the veggie roll had cucumber, pineapple, honey mustard, and chives or something. And... the rice was squished onto the roll... Fortunately I'm going to Sushi Blues with a friend on Sunday to remedy the awful taste.

11/17/2010 8:13:24 PM

sono lovers!

i'm going tomorrow. i've never eaten at the actual sono (had to go before and it was like two years ago).

what are your fav specialty rolls? not sure if i'll get any, but just wondering what the favs are.

also how is the nigiri and sashimi? consistently fresh fresh or just kinda fresh? i guess based on the reviews in this thread, consistency seems to bee seriously debatable. because that is what i'm mostly interested in over the specialty rolls but will still prob try 1 or 2 specialty.

i always get scared going to new sushi places because of bad experiences. bad experiences at places people rave about always kinda scare me away from sushi. cause raw fish is one thing that, in my opinion, cannot be mediocre (or worse!) quality. it bums me out because i'd much MUCH MUCHHH rather have nigiri and/or sashimi than specialty rolls. but i guess, based on this thread, specialty at sono is the way to go. bummer.

[Edited on January 7, 2011 at 1:18 AM. Reason : .]

1/7/2011 1:15:56 AM

Don't listen to the haters. Sono consistently puts out the best sushi in Raleigh, and they get recognized for this.

Nigiri and Sashimi there are both fantastic. I've had a few specialty rolls but I can't remember the names--specialty rolls aren't really my thing. People love them for their specialty rolls, but what I like is the quality and variety of their sashimi.

I recommend getting a Nigiri Platter (I don't know the exact name--you pick one specialty roll and the Chef gives you a certain amount of nigiri that he picks).

1/7/2011 2:54:36 AM

the Screaming O role is awesome. Also the one that uses blue crab.

if you get an appetizer, get the pork belly. you won't be disappointed, the meat is so tender it literally falls apart on the fork as you try to pick it up

1/7/2011 8:23:59 AM

^^ When I went there the sashimi was pretty terrible. Maybe it was because I didn't order just maguro and salmon (those tend to be the ones sushi restaurants burn through the fastest).

Has anyone been to Haru on Glenwood Avenue? I read the review in the N&O where the guy was practically sucking their dick he was raving so hard over it. Wondering if it's actually as good as Greg Cox says it is.

1/7/2011 10:25:15 AM

I've only been to Haru once but it was pretty awesome

1/7/2011 10:26:46 AM

I want to try the lobster ikizukuri they supposedly serve there

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikizukuri

1/7/2011 10:29:20 AM

Little Tokyo in Cary has some great lunch specials

1/7/2011 10:50:05 AM

yea i'm slightly terrified of ton bc the last time i had sono i was unimpressed

i get that they consistently get rewarded for the best sushi in raleigh, but i don't know...i feel like sometimes those awards are just little more than a popularity contest *shrug*

specialty rolls aren't really my thing either. i was thinking about getting the nigiri platter that comes with the chef's choice and then 1 special roll.

i will report back on my experiences haha.

1/7/2011 12:28:55 PM

ok im an adventurous eater but ikizukuri lobster sounds pretty bad

1/7/2011 12:36:22 PM

Quote :

"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikizukuri"

Jesus christ that is brutal.

1/7/2011 12:38:38 PM

yeah my initial reaction was like HOLY CRAP THAT'S TERRIBLE

then i realized i had it in korea, just with octopus, sorta.. instead of filleting the flesh the tentacles were just cut off and served immediately still wiggling and wrapping around your chop sticks.

so i can't complain i guess.

1/7/2011 12:42:58 PM

no longer going to sono ton. i was too scared.

after like the 10th person told me that the nigiri and sashimi is gross i caved and decided not to form my own opinion haha. i mean i ate their once when it first opened and thought it was gross, but thought after so many people raved about it, i'd give it a second try. but i think those are mostly people that love specialty rolls. and those aren't my jam.

i know Netstorm is adamant that it isn't gross but more than a handful of my friends have said otherwise so, i gotta go with them. maybe i'll try it again sometime, but i dunno. w places like haru and waraji why take the riskkkk?

i still wanna try making my own d7freestyler and Joie's rolls on the first page of this thread look so nommy.

^, ^^ my first reaction when i read the wiki wasn't as shocked as i expected to be after reading y'alls posts. it was more like, "*SHRUG*, asians" i guess after having been to asia (not for long enough, either!) i don't find it that shocking. some of the stuff i saw riding around on food carts in vietnam weirded me out more than that. but mostly cause i couldn't tell what it was.

[Edited on January 7, 2011 at 1:27 PM. Reason : .]

1/7/2011 1:24:13 PM

If your friends think it's "gross" then you can be pretty sure they just don't know much about sushi. Critics, food writers, and chefs advocate it, and not because it's a "popularity contest". They're not manna from heaven, but it's good sushi any way you put it. There might be better places in Cary, but that doesn't make the place "gross".

However, where you eat is your prerogative.

[Edited on January 7, 2011 at 1:43 PM. Reason : it's mmmmmmmy prerogaaaaative]

1/7/2011 1:37:26 PM

Anybody been to Sushi O in downtown Raleigh yet?

1/7/2011 1:38:51 PM

^^ *shrug* my first experience there was negative and clearly other people have also had negative experiences. i would like to try the nigiri and sashimi at some point just to see, but i'll prob do that on my own during lunch one day instead of on a friday night when the point is to be having fun with friends!

and also, a crunchy diablo roll is NOT REAL sushi

^ is that under those condos on glenwood near bruegger's etc?? i've driven by, haven't tried it. curious as well.

[Edited on January 7, 2011 at 1:47 PM. Reason : .]

1/7/2011 1:47:02 PM

One bad experience negates a thousand good ones.

Shit I forgot the formula!

1/7/2011 1:49:54 PM

whats the one over on the corner of harrelson and maynard?

i think someone mentioned it, but its the best sushi ive had in a while


also i really liked asuka over toward morrisville, but that was like 3 yrs ago, dont know if its even still around

1/7/2011 1:55:44 PM

Quote :

"One bad experience negates a thousand good ones"

Just this thread alone has mentioned more than 1 bad experience at Sono.

[Edited on January 7, 2011 at 1:58 PM. Reason : g]

1/7/2011 1:57:58 PM

^^ Domo Sushi. I live across the street from there Their specialty rolls are good but their overall fish selection is extremely limited compared to other places around here.

Quote :

"ok im an adventurous eater but ikizukuri lobster sounds pretty bad"

Before I tried it I would have agreed but I accidentally ate it in Okinawa and it was delicious

1/7/2011 2:19:27 PM

Grrrrr @ Sushi Blues.

Me: "I would like the king crab nigiri. I only want it to be the crab and rice, is that how it comes?"
Waitress: "Yes, it is just crab and rice"
Me: "kkthx"

Then it comes COVERED in fish eggs. I was with coworkers so I didn't want to make a big deal and the girl kinda walked off without checking on us, so I just handed it off to someone else.

1/7/2011 2:29:04 PM

Quote :

"Anybody been to Sushi O in downtown Raleigh yet?"

A couple of times. I thought it was pretty good.

Huge menu for such a small place too.

1/7/2011 2:32:04 PM

Quote :

"Then it comes COVERED in fish eggs"

god damn I love roe.

1/7/2011 2:34:16 PM

That is bait where I come from

1/7/2011 2:36:37 PM

I had "sea foie gras" in Tokyo. Later they told me it was the liver of an angler fish.

Much later I remembered what an angler looked like and felt gross for eating it.

1/7/2011 2:38:01 PM

Quote :

"I had "sea foie gras" in Tokyo. Later they told me it was the liver of an angler fish. Much later I remembered what an angler looked like and felt gross for eating it."

lol they have that stuff at Waraji sometimes. I've never heard it called sea foie gras before but I guess I can see that.

And yeah, angler fish freaks me out haha.

1/7/2011 3:32:01 PM

Hittin up some Wasbi this weekend. The girl wants sushi and its the first girl i ve been with in years that's likes seafood so I'm gonna get this while I can.

1/7/2011 4:43:11 PM

we went to carolina sushi & roll on falls of neuse (in the HT shopping center) and it was pretty great. not too expensive and they have different rolls on special on different days. sono is still the best sushi i've ever had though!

1/7/2011 5:24:36 PM

LOL at this Ikizukuri video.

1/7/2011 5:37:23 PM

Going to Sushi Thai in cary this evening to partake in some face stuffing

1/7/2011 5:54:35 PM

^^^I've been trying to plug Carolina Sushi & Roll. My friend's family owns it. It's always great and we always get the hook up

[Edited on January 7, 2011 at 6:01 PM. Reason : The sexy roll is delicious]

1/7/2011 6:00:57 PM

yes! we ordered the sexy roll that night because it was the special of the night. yummmmm

1/7/2011 8:38:11 PM

Does Tasu do a bogo special every day now?

1/12/2011 5:32:34 PM

they always have as well as their sister restaurant.

1/12/2011 6:18:07 PM

Anybody hear anything about kanki doing all you can eat rolls for $25 a head?

1/12/2011 7:49:03 PM

i like sushi o right now.

1/12/2011 8:08:38 PM

walked over to sushi 9 from work on tuesday, but they were closed due to ice

i was more like SUSHI NONE

1/12/2011 8:14:58 PM

Anyone been to Teriyakin' in Morrisville?

1/18/2011 11:04:41 AM

Has anyone tried Mirage in downtown? Something like mirageraleighdotcom is their website.

I'm thinking about taking the wife there for her birthday coming up, but need to know if their sushi lives up to the hype.

1/18/2011 11:12:18 AM

If the place is called Mirage and is a night club, I doubt their sushi is all that great

1/18/2011 11:19:30 AM

what's with all of the hate for Sono?!?! they really are one of the best in Raleigh. I totally agree with Netstorm

Quote :

"If your friends think it's "gross" then you can be pretty sure they just don't know much about sushi. Critics, food writers, and chefs advocate it, and not because it's a "popularity contest"."

for real. I think people just like to hate on Sono because it's so critically acclaimed and they just want to say "oh it wasn't that good" or it's overrated. Sometimes the most popular is the best for a reason. They get their fish imported daily from Havelock and other places. The best, freshest sushi I know of in town.

1/18/2011 11:19:37 AM

sono and mura, I love the place but can't really get into their roll. Maybe next time I should try some of their sashimi or kitchen stuff

Quote :

"lol they have that stuff at Waraji sometimes. I've never heard it called sea foie gras before but I guess I can see that. And yeah, angler fish freaks me out haha."

When have we had this??

1/18/2011 11:24:08 AM

Had Tasu on Sunday night

bogo free FTW plus 50% off bottles of wine on Sunday nights

1/18/2011 11:26:50 AM

^^^^ I had my doubts about a night club providing good food - but I've had good night club food before. Had a few people tell me the food was good, but I agree - still a little skeptical - hence the post.

[Edited on January 18, 2011 at 11:27 AM. Reason : ^]

1/18/2011 11:27:16 AM

I've been to Sono twice now and liked it quite a bit both times. It's definitely out of my normal going out price range, though.

1/18/2011 12:53:16 PM

Tasu is pretty good, my old fallback is Sushi Thai though...I need me some sashimi

1/18/2011 12:54:04 PM

Quote :

"for real. I think people just like to hate on Sono because it's so critically acclaimed and they just want to say "oh it wasn't that good" or it's overrated. Sometimes the most popular is the best for a reason. They get their fish imported daily from Havelock and other places. The best, freshest sushi I know of in town."

It's also TWW, everyone likes to bitch and take sides and think it means anything.

There's also a bit of a Cary fetish, and it carries over noticeably into sushi.

I'm headed to Waraji tomorrow to see if it's worth the reverence it gets, and even if it is, that doesn't mean Sono (or any other place for that matter) is dirt or deserves the kind of baseless criticism that TWW is so well known for.

[Edited on January 18, 2011 at 2:00 PM. Reason : ff]

1/18/2011 1:47:22 PM

Just had some pretty kick ass sushi at An for lunch.

1/18/2011 2:50:53 PM