Considering Arizona is a desert, there’s a pretty lively sushi scene here. As I walk down Mill Avenue on a Wednesday night and enter RA Sushi Bar Restaurant, the first thing I notice is how busy it is even at 10:00 p.m. The glowing red orbs of light hanging from the ceiling dimly illuminate the smiling faces of people filling almost every table. There are a good amount of people in their 20’s and 30’s dressed on the formal side, but not overly so.
RA offers customers several seating options to choose from, which are each lovely in their own way. Outside, there’s a patio that has umbrellas out during the day to provide shading. At night, there are strings of lights overhead and the fireplaces are lit. There is also an outside bar, but it’s only open when it’s exceptionally busy, such as on weekend nights.
Inside, there are two tastefully decorated dining rooms. The one near the entrance has high-top tables with a nice view of Mill Avenue. The bar is also located in this room, where customers can order both food and drinks. The second dining room features booths and tables, along with a well-stocked sushi bar, where customers often sit to watch sushi chefs whip up delicious creations.
A friendly hostess greets me, and since it’s busy enough that all the booths are taken, she guides me and my date to the sushi bar. As we walk there, I look around at the modern Japanese-themed décor: the entire restaurant has an upscale, red and black theme and there are artistic Asian-themed photos that offer even more visual appeal. The music is a bit loud, but it’s not impossible to carry on a conversation if you raise your voice a little.
A server promptly greets me and I get appetizers started. The Seared Tuna consists of five slices of juicy, very rare – almost raw, but not quite -- tuna sitting in a creamy wasabi sauce. Since the meat is sitting in the sauce, it absorbs the flavor quite nicely while still allowing the fish to be the main flavor. The pungent pepper seasoning on the outside of the fish complements the subtly spicy sauce perfectly. The slices are cut thick enough to have a satisfying bite, yet not chewy at all.
The Pork Gyoza offers my date a cooked option, which he is more comfortable with. The pork and onion filled dumplings are seared crispy and served with a salty, citrusy ponzu sauce. These were a favorite between us and were gone within mere minutes of reaching the table.
The menu is well organized and easy to understand, both for sushi lovers and beginners alike. It simply yet effectively explains the difference between items such as specialty sushi rolls (which are found only at RA), maki (traditional sushi rolls), nigiri (a piece of raw fish atop a small rice ball), and hand rolls (cone-shaped sushi). There are a wide range of options to choose from, such as traditional maki rolls, RA’s signature sushi rolls, and cooked dishes. I’m a sushi enthusiast and love trying new rolls, whereas my date prefers the familiarity of cooked food, so we order a variety of rolls both cooked and raw.
The first roll to come out is the Zonie Roll, which features spicy salmon, cilantro, jalapeño, avocado, and a dot of Sriracha atop each piece. The heat from the pepper and hot sauce are cooled down by the fresh cilantro and raw fish. It’s a well-balanced roll for those who enjoy spicy food.
Next was the Gojira Roll, which consists of shrimp tempura, crab mix, cream cheese, crispy cucumber, spicy tuna, and crunchy tempura bits. Since every piece had all of those ingredients in it, each bite was an evenly-balanced explosion of flavors. Remember that scene in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” when Violet chews on a small piece of gum and tastes a full meal bit by bit? It was pretty much like that — minus the disastrous ending. When I pop a piece of the Gojira roll into my mouth, first I taste the spicy tuna, then the crunchy cooked shrimp tempura, and it’s all finished off by the smooth cream cheese flavor that leaves me wanting to taste the flavorful fish again. I could probably eat about a hundred of these rolls.
Next up, we try some cooked sushi rolls. The Viva Las Vegas Roll (pictured to the right) is one of RA’s most popular menu items, so we had to try it. Inside, there’s a hot, melty mixture of crab and cream cheese. This is surrounded by a crunchy, deep fried roll and topped with spicy tuna, sweet eel sauce, and a crispy sliced lotus root. The lotus root mostly seems to be decoration; it tastes like an overly-salty potato chip of some kind. After taking those off, I’m ready to devour the roll, but I run into a bit of an issue. Although I have a huge appetite for sushi, I’m a petite person, and I realize that I can’t fit an entire piece of this sushi into my mouth at once. (Well, I probably could, but I’m on a date and don’t want to stuff food down my face like a snake. It’s not a good look.) Since it’s simply too big, so I have to eat the tuna first, followed by the rest. I find that this disjointed experience takes away from the flavor of the fish, leaving my palate overwhelmed by cream cheese and sweet eel sauce. My date, finding that every ingredient is cooked, gladly finishes the plate for us.
Next comes the “RA”ckin’ Roll (pronounced Rock n’ Roll). This roll also features crab and cream cheese rolled into a tempura-battered and deep-fried roll, but the difference between this and the Viva Las Vegas Roll is that this one is topped with guacamole and “RA”ckin’ Shrimp. The “RA”ckin’ Shrimp is an appetizer of breaded, fried, crunchy shrimp. Their blend of spices creates a very distinct flavor that has a Japanese taste and isn’t overly spicy. As for the guacamole, I was skeptical about it being on sushi, but it turns out to be a great addition to the roll as well. Despite having to eat this roll one piece at a time – first the shrimp, next the guacamole, then the roll – due to its large size, I thoroughly enjoy every part of it. This is a very filling roll, so if you’re on a budget and want to get the most for your money, this would be a great choice. However, both of these cooked rolls tend to err on the messy side. If you’re on a first date or having a business lunch, there are several other options that could be more easily and gracefully eaten.
The Ultimate Shrimp Tempura Roll offers a great balance of flavors. Most notably, there is seared tuna and shrimp tempura, which taste wonderful together. That prominent seafood flavor is beautifully met with a refreshing bit of cucumber and avocado. It’s RA’s take on the classic Shrimp Tempura Roll and I am definitely not disappointed.
If you’re comfortable with eating raw fish and are feeling adventurous, there are plenty of choices to explore on the menu. The Salmon Sashimi is the freshest, most delectable fish I have eaten in quite some time. The Tuna Sashimi is also highly enjoyable, especially when I’d put a thick juicy slice of it on top of some sushi to add an extra layer of flavor.
The nigiri selection is vast, but the high prices steer me away from ordering them as often as I’d like to. The halibut nigiri is buttery, soft, and flavorful – all without that off-putting “fishy” taste that’s often encountered while eating seafood.
Aside from raw fish and sushi rolls, there are many entrées to choose from as well. The Clam Udon is a large, filling portion of steamed clams served over udon noodles in a creamy, rich garlic soy sauce. Be warned: it is decadent, heavy, and so addicting that you won’t want to stop eating until it’s all gone.
There are so many tasty drinks to choose from that the most difficult part is simply picking one out. There’s enough beer, wine, liquor, and sake to suit anyone’s preferences (not to mention a variety of non-alcoholic sodas and tea). The cocktails are RA’s modern Japanese twist on typical bar drinks. I choose a cocktail called Dragon Bite, which is made with Dragon Fruit Skyy Vodka, fresh muddled strawberries, and soda. It’s delightfully refreshing and tastes like a carbonated strawberry lemonade. The Cucumber Collins is an equally enjoyable drink that’s more bitter than sweet. The cucumbers take the bite away from the drink and leave me with a light, fresh taste.
The desserts are Japanese themed and range from classic to modern. The Green Tea Ice Cream is a light way to end a meal, but it’s rather generic and far from my favorite dessert on their menu. However, I have never been crazy about the Green Tea flavors that are present in many Japanese candies and desserts, so it may have just been lost on me. I strongly prefer the Sweet Mochi Trio, which has three flavors of ice cream (strawberry, mango, and vanilla) wrapped in sweet rice cake and topped with fresh fruit slices. This sweet yet refreshing dessert is a nice change of pace from boring, overly-sweet desserts that can be found everywhere.
Overall, dining at RA was a great experience. Although the prices are fairly high for the portions, the quality of fresh ingredients and the skill that’s needed to prepare it make it worth the cost. Their Japanese-inspired menu offers a large selection of delicious food and drinks for both sushi lovers and newbies. There are a few small flaws – small portions of food, loud music, and some pieces of sushi being cut too large – but they don’t have a significant negative impact on the dining experience. RA’s high-quality food, drinks, and pleasant ambiance are worth the high cost. This restaurant isn’t practical to eat at often, but it’s perfect for a date night or to spoil yourself and have a great time.
Seared Tuna $7.80
Pork Gyoza $6.80
Zonie Roll $10.00
Gojira Roll $13.30
Viva Las Vegas Roll $13.50
“RA”ckin’ Roll $13.40
Ultimate Shrimp Tempura Roll $12.80
Salmon Sashimi $10.50
Tuna Sashimi $11.30
Halibut Nigiri $5.50
Dragon Bite $8.50
Cucumber Collins $9.30
Clam Udon $13.50
Green Tea Ice Cream $3.50
Sweet Mochi Trio $7.50
Food: 10/10
Drinks: 9/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Service: 10/10
Cost Efficiency: 6/10
Overall Rating: 9/10
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