Asahi Kaiten Sushibar

 

16

40

Mike Z.

Arlington, VA

For a sushi place in a mall, I don't think this place is too bad.  I've had a lot off the menu here, and I've always enjoyed what I've had.  When I'm in the mood for more delicious sushi (and no free miso soup, grumble), I head over to Cafe Asia.

Features:
Sushi conveyor belt (kaiten) around the sushi bar (but I don't trust this)
Bar for drinking and mingling, and probably a happy hour.
Lots of table seating
Little white jellyfish in blue-lit tanks (I don't trust them, either)

Things I like about it:
Miso soup comes standard with every meal
Large variety of rolls (more so than Matsutake across the street)
Very affordable as far as sushi goes
Less than a block from where I live

Things you should never do here:
Get the Lasagna Roll - a California roll with cheese on it (just weird)

To me, this seems like a great neighborhood sushi place, but if I wasn't in the neighborhood, I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Elite '08

9

197

Mikkela T.

Arlington, VA

The spicy tuna salad filled the large martini glass. With carrot curlicues, spiced sashimi tuna, avocado etc., this is the ultimate in food martini. Too bad it cost $10. I had to supplement with sushi from the conveyor belt, color coded, 2-4-6, who do we appreciate?! This could be a groovy bar in Asia but for the lack of groovy people. Oh wait, here come some young men. Straight to the bar (liquid, not sushi) by the brightly lit aquariums and flat screen TVs. I look. I go back to thinking about how the sushi plates look like the play set I had when I was a kid. But I think I ate dirt back then.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

0

131

Anson P.

Annandale, VA

The sushi here was decent.  A friend of mine and I went for the conveyor belt sushi.  Out of 3 conveyor belt sushi places that I've been to, this was the longest one and the one that I would have expected to have a cooling system for the conveyor belt.  I would recommend staying away from the belt sushi unless the place is busy.   Having said that, the seaweed salad wasn't bad, not great either.  The tuna roll and octopus roll were decent.  This would be a good option if I lived at Ballston.  I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to come to this restaurant, but if you live nearby or want to do some shopping, then this would be a good spot for a sushi break.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

10

153

Anna R.

Arlington, VA

My review is really three and a half stars.  We have only been here once and it was a positive experience.  While we sat at the conveyor belt, we did have the sushi guy make a few apps for us.  And it's true that some of the sushi on the belt looked a little hurting...so guess what?  Don't take it!  There's plenty the kitchen or the sushi dude can make.  There's an all you can eat on Sundays that we have yet to try, and once we eat on that night, I'll have to modify my review.  What I also like about this joint is that it's very democratic.  On the night we dined there, there were all ages and ethnicities.  I dig that a lot.  It also says a lot about where we are with food in this country.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

3

21

Kevin M.

Arlington, VA

I think this place is a hidden treasure.  Located inside the Ballston mall, Asahi Kaiten is my favorite sushi place in the area.  I would rank it significantly higher than the much heralded (and highly overrated) Sushiko.  

Now, it is an actual restaurant and not part of the food court.  It's right next to the Rock Bottom Brewery.  They have the sushi bar if that's your thing but I usually sit at a booth.  I always get the Ballston roll--which is a jumbo roll with fried shrimp, avocoda, crab stick and a sprinkle of aonori.  I will be honest, I have no idea what a sprinkle of aonori is, but I think it tastes great!  The california roll is always a safe option too.

This place is good anytime you go, it never seems to get too crowded.  I love the sushi and the service.  If you live in Arlington, this is a must visit.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Elite '08

9

136

Alex S.

Arlington, VA

You have got to be kidding or an employee.  

The lunch "special" is $2 for 2 pieces.  The sushi itself was actually even worse than the place in the food court downstairs.  

The spicy tuna roll was wrapped in American cheese.  Enough said.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

Elite '08

24

156

Peter M.

Alexandria, VA

http://www.asahisushi....

Asahi Kaiten is a very trendy Japanese Sushi Restaurant in the Ballston Mall, tucked away next to the Capitol Brewery and across from the Macaroni Grill. The interior is very nicely decorated and the seating ample since their complete remodelling a couple of years back that took them months to complete.

Now, I'm a sushi novice - but I know what's fresh and what's not. And the sushi at Asahi Kaiten is very fresh. Their lunchtime special is $2 per plate on their conveyor system which sits in the far end of their eating area. Newly added are small booths with rice paper walls, which adds to both the decor and the intimacy of the restaurant. The bar which sits off to the left is large and appears to be well stocked.

Also, I don't know what happened to Roy on his visit, but everything I had was very well presented and acceptable in size. Three pieces of Sushi per plate were the norm - 2-3 inches thick each at least.  I would hazard recommending he try the Matsuke steak and sushi place across wlson blvd - if he's looking for a better "all you can eat" deal. (I've had the sushi from downstairs too, and it's not that bad either.) Although - I only go to these places at lunchtime. Dinner may be a completely different story.

But for me - at lunch recently I had 4 plates (California Roll, Ebi/Shrimp, Inari, and a unusual green salad plate I don't know the name of) and a very nice Miso Soup and green tea for less than $10 - and all were well presented, well prepared - and i was waited on by a very nice hostess.

And yes, I plan to go back again for another... SUSHI RUN!

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

0

8

Derek P.

Arlington, VA

I'm sorry to say that this is some of the worst sushi I've sampled. In my life.

Initially I was excited about the prospect of REAL kaiten (conveyor belt) style sushi in Arlington, but unfortunately, the conveyor belt carries unfresh, unsavory, uncreative samplings of something barely resembling sushi. Seriously, it was bad all three times I tried it. That was three too many.

I could forgive its location in a shopping mall if it was enclosed enough to maintain a special ambience and keep out the mall noise (and the noise from Rock Bottom), but this is not the case.

I only give it two stars (instead of one) because the wait staff are generally friendly, albeit a little confused...

I hope this place closes soon to make way for a worthy restaurant.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review

 

1

2

Sandra B.

Arlington, VA

Ballston's sushi secret is out! Asahi Kaiten is a conveyor belt sushi place that has been a popular way of eating sushi for years everywhere else in the world and has finally found its way to Arlington. Some may be skeptical about eating mall sushi but this sushi taste exceptionally fresh, in fact,  the conveyor belt runs around the sushi chefs who prepare all sushi right there where each step may be observed.

Not only does the quality of the sushi stand out at Asahi Kaiten, but also the quality of the service is beyond compare! The chefs are entertaining to watch, the ambiance is welcoming, the sushi is scrumptious and the prices are easy on the pocket, especially considering the location. Asahi Kaiten is also a perfect date spot before going to a movie or going out drinking in Ballston.

Bookmark   Send to a Friend Link to This Review