This place just replaced that disaster of a sushi bar on the corner of 436 and Aloma/Fairbanks. And to report that they are slightly better is a testament to how bad that place was. It is now a place that boils most of the things that the last place hibachi-ed or served raw. I had a combo that let me pair (or maybe I "curated" it) two half pound items. I chose crawfish and the cheapest thing (sausage) because I just didn't trust that the freshness of their menu and blue crab is out of season. Don't ask me why I would have trusted them on crab. I tried to reason with myself, but, I wouldn't have it. I really don't understand myself sometimes. The crawfish cost $5. The sausage cost $4. I would bet that the crawfish (9) had been frozen at some point. Very tough with no flavor. Then again it could have been the asinine practice of boiling instead of steaming seafood that most of America seems to enjoy. The sausage was fine. The meal also came with a red potato the size of a monkey fist and the requisite quarter cob of corn that they boil so long that the kernels flatten out. They serve the usual cheap fried crap and boil shrimp, crabs, mussels and clams. Everything is about $10. They also list lobster or stone crab. I'm not sure I'd trust them to provide any of that. I mean not just them. Any place like this. I just don't trust that the stuff going into the pot is fresh. FYI - check if their shrimp have black spots on the shells. I just learned that this is a sign that they were frozen (not that almost every shrimp isn't). They did very little to the decor and what they did clashes. I'm not sure if you know James from the last two seasons of Big Brother. He's an Asian redneck from South Carolina. This spot is an Asian redneck too. They left the Bangkok nightclub elements of the old place and nailed up some wood boards to make it look like a beach/shit shack. They also walled of the hibachi area. They said it was a "private room", but, it looks like they just removed the grills and left it at that. Service was polite. They are part of a small chain from Georgia. I can't recommend anyplace that destroys seafood by boiling it. If you don't have enough sense to know that this strips them of all their natural flavor and texture then you shouldn't be allowed to buy it let alone serve it. Throw in the embarrassing decor and all you have left is that it may appeal to a very undiscerning segment of the population.
11/17/2019 - I popped into the new location and they claimed they had no affiliation (not even the franchise) with this one. The story sounded the same to me though. These franchisees may not even be aware this place once existed. In any case, I won't be trying out the new one based on this experience and the vibe I got from the new location. Another location is opening soon too.
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