Two nights ago (in the freezing cold and with about three inches of snow on the ground), my wife, brother-in-law and his girlfriend, ventured out to Kisaku Sushi Restaurant in the Meridian Neighborhood of Seattle. Ryan (the brother-in-law) had heard some good things about it, and we all love sushi, so we decided to give it a shot. Because, once again, this site is devoted to reviewing everything Seattle, I thought I'd let you know how it turned out.
Located at 2101 N. 55th St in Seattle in a multi-purpose retail type of building, Kisaku Sushi Restaurant is not going to blow your socks off with a high end type of dining experience. The interior, like the exterior, serve only to provide a functional dining experience. When we entered we were greeted by a very nice hostess (who asked if we had reservations, even though a winter storm had just blown through essentially shutting down the city, and the restaurant was empty - a pretty entertaining experience for us) who led us to a table for four. The place probably seats 30-40 max, and it is worth noting they have created a bar style area where you can sit and eat and watch the sushi chefs prepare your dinner.
One thing we immediately noticed was the lack of a full bar. The four of us, being late twenties early thirty-somethings, love to have a nice drink (or drinks) with dinner). But Kisaku has failed to get a liquor license, making it likely one of the only sushi restaurants in Seattle where you cannot have a Saki-bomb with your meal. They do serve beer and wine, however, so we made due.
Kisaku Sushi Restaurant provides what can best be described as a bare bones style of sushi. They have all the old favorites, a couple of signature rolls, named aptly the Wallingford Roll and the Greenlake Roll both of which were tasty, sashimi, and a variety of hot, non-sushi dishes. You won't find a James Bond themed selection like you will at Umi Sake House (a Seattle giant when it comes to sushi), and they don't have the creative rolls some others might have, but the selection is fair.
As I mentioned, we ordered the greenlake roll, the wallingford roll, a Spicy Tuna Roll, and several pieces of sashimi. Because I was so cold, I asked them to make me a bowl of soup, which they did, with shrimp tempura. The soup came out hot and was pretty tasty (it included octopus, which I'd never had outside calamari - it wasn't too bad). When the rolls came out although they looked delicious, one thing was clear, they were small. I think each roll had maybe six pieces with it, which is significantly smaller than we are used to getting. They tasted fantastic, but were gone as quickly as they came.
Atmosphere-wise, don't be prepared to be blown out of the water with Kisaku. Bring along some good company and you should be fine (this should probably be expected out of an out of the way sushi restaurant nestled in a Seattle neighborhood, but maybe not). It wasn't too loud or too quiet, the service was relatively fast and very attentive, and the decor was adequate.
After two half-bottles of wine, two kiran ichiban pints of beer, a few sushi rolls, and some soup, our bill totaled about $100. Not bad for four people eating dinner in Seattle. As for recommendations, if you are a die hard sushi fan looking to get back to your roots, I'd highly recommend Kisaku Sushi Restaurant. The quality of everything was great, even if the helpings were a little on the short side. So, if you are ever in the Wallingford, Greenlake, Meridian, Freemont, or Phinney neighborhoods, stop by and check it out.
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Monday
Seattle Bar Nightclub Reviews | Barca
Under some strange circumstances (my brother-in-law wanted to go somewhere he was sure not to see his ex-girlfriend) a couple of nights ago we made our way to Barca, a Seattle nightclub and bar for some great drinks and some fun times. Both ended up being had for all - here is my review of Barca.Barca is a Seattle bar and nightclub located at 1510 11th Ave, Seattle, Washington. Located on Capitol Hill, it is a great place to go and have more a chill, relaxed night with friends. With a map, it is easy to get to.
This bar is a lot more like Murphy's Irish Pub than Havana, which I reviewed earlier. The reason is that it does not bill itself as a Seattle dance club, but more of a Seattle night club. There is a lot of alcohol and a lot of places to mingle, but you probably won't find a dance floor here. The pictures I've included (courtesy of the Barca Gallery - the last one is the ladies room, something I guess they are proud of) show you what I'm talking about.
Finally, on to the review. When we first walk in, it is immediately apparent that this is a pretty cool bar, but with a definitely different vibe than you will find at a lot of the other hot night spots in Seattle. The lighting is soft, the people are moderately dressed, and the beer and wine are flowing like water. On a Saturday night the place was packed but didn't necessarily feel like it. We moseyed up to the bar and ordered drinks with no problem. Captain and seven (my signature drink) and a couple of martinis were made to perfection, and we settled in with the crowd.The waitstaff (the place has both bartenders and waitresses) were courteous and conversational. They made great drinks, kept the place clean, and blended in with the crowd, just like you'd like in a great Seattle bar. Overall it was a great experience.
If you are ever in downtown Seattle and want a great change of pace, check out Barca. It will not disappoint.
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Friday
Seattle Reviews | Havana Social Club
My next Seattle review is of Havana Social Club, a hot spot located in downtown Seattle, Washington at 1010 E Pike St., Seattle, WA 98122.
I made my way to Havana on a Saturday night for a buddies 30th birthday party, and I must say the experience was fantastic. Located on Pike Street downtown, Havana Social Club screams fun from the moment you enter the door (the entrance, by the way, is through a gate and a parking lot - it isn't right off the street and might be easy to miss if you've never been there before). The space is amazing. High ceilings, soft lighting, great music, and pretty people highlight this nightclub.
Because it was my buddies birthday, and because they like to have a plan, we reserved the only private space at Havana - a fairly small upstairs room that looks out on the rest of the club. You can see from the picture the view you get not only of the D.J., but of the entire bar. I will mention, though, that even though it was supposed to be private upstairs, there wasn't anyone with a list or anything - if you ever want to party crash upstairs you could probably do it. But if you ever want a more intimate gathering, try the upstairs here.
As for service, the drinks were served quickly and poured strong. I ordered from the waitresses running around upstairs and from the bartenders down that the main bar and wasn't disappointed. We got our drinks in minutes no matter who we ordered from, and they were very tasty. There was one run in with a waitress that I wasn't crazy about - she pushed my friend, spilling her entire drink - but I let it go because it was crazy packed and I don't think the waitress was trying to be rude.
In the end, if you want to have a good time, enjoy a downtown Seattle nightclub, dance the night away, look at pretty people, and drink great drinks, Havana Social Club is a great place to check out. I'd highly recommend dancing the night away here. But make sure you catch a cab home. You don't need to fork over the dough for a Seattle DUI attorney.
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Have you been here too? Don't let me be the only one to review this Seattle nightclub. Let everyone know what you thought by leaving a comment.
I made my way to Havana on a Saturday night for a buddies 30th birthday party, and I must say the experience was fantastic. Located on Pike Street downtown, Havana Social Club screams fun from the moment you enter the door (the entrance, by the way, is through a gate and a parking lot - it isn't right off the street and might be easy to miss if you've never been there before). The space is amazing. High ceilings, soft lighting, great music, and pretty people highlight this nightclub.
Because it was my buddies birthday, and because they like to have a plan, we reserved the only private space at Havana - a fairly small upstairs room that looks out on the rest of the club. You can see from the picture the view you get not only of the D.J., but of the entire bar. I will mention, though, that even though it was supposed to be private upstairs, there wasn't anyone with a list or anything - if you ever want to party crash upstairs you could probably do it. But if you ever want a more intimate gathering, try the upstairs here.As for service, the drinks were served quickly and poured strong. I ordered from the waitresses running around upstairs and from the bartenders down that the main bar and wasn't disappointed. We got our drinks in minutes no matter who we ordered from, and they were very tasty. There was one run in with a waitress that I wasn't crazy about - she pushed my friend, spilling her entire drink - but I let it go because it was crazy packed and I don't think the waitress was trying to be rude.
In the end, if you want to have a good time, enjoy a downtown Seattle nightclub, dance the night away, look at pretty people, and drink great drinks, Havana Social Club is a great place to check out. I'd highly recommend dancing the night away here. But make sure you catch a cab home. You don't need to fork over the dough for a Seattle DUI attorney.
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