Website: www.chachasushi.com
Cuisine type: Sushi
Atmosphere: cozy cafe
Meal: lunch
Overall score: 7.3
Nina
Small space, cafe style seating with sushi bar option, unassuming facade on a strip mall, I didn’t really expect anything exceptional. However, I was in for a surprise, the food really delivered and the lunch menu value was great.
Without necessarily planning it this way, I picked an all salmon menu. I ordered the lunch combination meal with two components($10), teriyaki salmon and salmon sashimi. In addition, I couldn’t resist also ordering the salmon roe sashimi, which despite the general sashimi descriptor of “4 slices” came in a pretty pile of pink-orange gems.
The lunch combination included a small salad and miso soup, pretty routine for many Japanese sushi restaurants. The salad was quite bland, with a few watery iceberg lettuce chunks topped with a small amount of shaved carrots and drenched in a ranch-style dressing. The miso soup was more flavorful, though nothing out of the ordinary. I was, however, surprised, when the server came to our table with a small plate with two very large mussels dressed with a pickled spicy dressing and explained that it was an appetizer on the house. It was quite a delicious bite, striking a good balance between the tender mussel meat and the bright acidity of the dressing.
Finally, it was time for the main course. The teriyaki salmon was fairly pale in color (so I can eliminate wild sockeye as an option), but perfectly cooked, to the point where it had a smooth and almost creamy texture on the inside and a very slight crunch on the outside where the teriyaki glaze caramelized on the grill. The sashimi was even better, with the meat clearly fresh tasting and well cut, with a melt-in-your mouth texture. Last but not least, the row was also very fresh and well presented. I was impressed that none of the pearls were soft or oozing, which indicates both freshness and care in handling.
Overall, this place is quite the hidden gem in the busy parking lot of this strip mall. The many positive reviews it received are well deserved, and it’s a great value particularly for lunch combinations.
Without necessarily planning it this way, I picked an all salmon menu. I ordered the lunch combination meal with two components($10), teriyaki salmon and salmon sashimi. In addition, I couldn’t resist also ordering the salmon roe sashimi, which despite the general sashimi descriptor of “4 slices” came in a pretty pile of pink-orange gems.
Finally, it was time for the main course. The teriyaki salmon was fairly pale in color (so I can eliminate wild sockeye as an option), but perfectly cooked, to the point where it had a smooth and almost creamy texture on the inside and a very slight crunch on the outside where the teriyaki glaze caramelized on the grill. The sashimi was even better, with the meat clearly fresh tasting and well cut, with a melt-in-your mouth texture. Last but not least, the row was also very fresh and well presented. I was impressed that none of the pearls were soft or oozing, which indicates both freshness and care in handling.
Overall, this place is quite the hidden gem in the busy parking lot of this strip mall. The many positive reviews it received are well deserved, and it’s a great value particularly for lunch combinations.
Food 8
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 6
Service 8
Value 8
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 6
Service 8
Value 8
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