Asahi – sushi and more
Asahi
168 Essex St.
978 825.0077
In a coastal New England town, seafood restaurants are in abundance. You would think it’s easy to find good sushi here but in Salem fresh sushi is hard to find. Luckily we have found Asahi.
Located on Essex Street outside the Museum Place Mall this Japanese restaurant is the only place in Salem to have sushi and not regret it in the morning. The menu selection is not as extensive as we would like but the fish is fresh and all the cuts are quality. The presentation shows that care goes into making each roll, the sushi chef obviously pays attention to detail.
If your not a big raw fish eater, there is a hibachi where chefs prepare steak, chicken or seafood in front of you while cracking bad jokes. The atmosphere is very dull and calm in a sea-foam green kind of way and if you listen you can hear the dulcid sounds of bad Japanese pop music in the background. Unfortunately the waitstaff isn’t as attentive as the chefs, service is slow and on one occasion our bill was wrong (in our favor).
Don’t let the poor waitstaff dissuade you from Asahi, the sushi is exceptional.
Waitstaff: C
Sushi: A
Drinks: A
Atmosphere: D
Overall Rating: B
Always enjoy their sushi, but I agree – service is unbelivably slow. Do not go here if you are in a rush!
Went there on Friday night, which I would assumed would be a busy night for them and the restaurant was 3/4 full. The hostess looked frazzled and was heard chiding the younger waitstaff to get moving. Our sushi took forever and when it finally came the waitress brought our entrees as well. When she asked if that was ok, what were we supposed to say? We even specifically ordered the sushi as appetizers. No refills on any drinks were offered, but she insisted on pouring water into my empty gingerale glass. The food is good, but service is ridiculously slow and the decor is boring and uninspired. The hostess’s stress sort of ruined the atmosphere as she rushed around sighing and grumbling. I would order take out from here, or go to the Hibachi with a group.