a lunch at Azusa of Japan

With a three-day weekend rapidly approaching, it only seemed appropriate to take a formal lunch. The suggestion of sushi lead us across the street from the office at Azusa of Japan. Given that the spot has been consistently used for meetings, I assumed it was excellent (glass half full, versus: it's popular because it's close). Well, the moment I walked in, I realized I had been here- and blacklisted- the spot three years ago.

While the downstairs area is cozy and a bit appealing to the eye, the dining room is drab and depressing. I decided to remain point positive. We sat down and ordered drinks. I sipped on the house Oolong tea, which I found to be a well-executed twist on the traditional iced tea found in restaurants.

We ordered the Deluxe Assortment of Raw fish with salmon, fluke, mackerel, yellowtail and tuna. Served on a modest bed of seaweed, the dish had a simple aesthetic quality. Rice and a bowl of miso soup accompanied the entree. The fish could have been cut thinner; and didn't taste exactly fresh. The rice approached perfection and the soup- a bit on the salty side, though decent.

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After reading media coverage on Azusa, it's an easy mistake to make. Given that they are one of the few Japanese restaurants to serve fugu (blowfish) in season, it draws attention. The Daily News describes the venue as romantic- perhaps they were seated in some secret portal? Further research revealed mixed (and mostly negative) reviews.

The appropriately foggy image is from: The Daily News.