Kishimoto Japanese Kitchen & Sushi Bar

Kishimoto is a wildly popular Japanese restaurant on the Drive and is easily identified by their signature presentation. This place does not take reservations and operates on a first come first serve basis, similar to Sushi Garden and the like. I came here on a Friday evening, expecting a long wait and boy, was I right. The popularity of the restaurant coupled with its small seating capacity meant an hour long wait for a table.

The first thing I wanted to order was one of the more standout menu items, their oshi sushi, all of which are prepared aburi style. The Salmon Oshisushi ($11.75) here is topped with salmon, a creamy sauce, black pepper and a slice of jalapeno while a piece of salmon is sandwiched inside the rice. Although the ratio of rice to everything else is slightly off balance, the taste overall makes it a non-issue.

Next, we had the Sashimi Salad ($10.95) served with an assortment of fresh seafood, mixed greens and house dressing. This tasted appetizingly tangy, albeit salty as you reached the bottom of the plate where the greens tend to be doused in dressing.

As for rolls, we went with the Caterpillar Roll ($9.75), Chopped Scallop Roll ($3.95), and the Spicy Dynamite Roll ($5.25) in the back. The caterpillar roll was your typical combination of unagi, cucumber and avocado with mayo and unagi sauce. The chopped scallop roll was also pretty standard fare. The rolls here are on the tiny side but I did quite like the sauce in the spicy dynamite roll. And check out that garnish with the glass and tea light! Not to mention the attention to detail with the butterfly shaped carrot atop the wasabi.

Pictured here are pieces of Tai and Kampachi Nigiri ($3 each) presented on a cute wooden paddle board.

We also ordered some Salmon Sashimi ($15.50). This was served on a block of ice and was nothing but fresh!

To follow up, we decided to try the Ahi Avocado ($12.75). This consisted of ahi tuna wrapped around pieces of avocado and topped with a thick dollop of yazu miso sauce. I didn't really like the sauce and yet it was all I could taste. Not exactly something I would personally recommend.

The last item we ordered was a solid tasting bowl of Plain Udon ($7.50).

Dinner was definitely a treat but I think having to wait an hour before being seated is a bit crazy. I would recommend this place to friends and all but it should be highly advised to come here as early as possible to avoid the incredibly long and steady line up during peak hours.