Ponzu Sushi and Grill

TheTurfMonster

When you decide to go out for a nice dinner during this economy, you come with an expectation of being captivated by a unique and delicious culinary experience. I decided to visit Ponzu since I was in the area and wanted to check out new restaurants in Aksarben. Ponzu failed to meet any sort of minimal expectations with the main dish, let me explain. To begin, the service upon walking in was rushed and uninviting. I came during a slow hour, so I have a hard time giving the benefit of the doubt that service was lackluster due to it being busy. The appetizers and drinks were good, nothing out of ordinary, just simple stuff that could be replicated by any restaurant. I've kicked myself in the butt for ordering the wrong things at certain restaurants before and this time I decided to opt out of the sushi, none of the sushi options seemed appetizing. Much of it was a sort neo-sushi menu aimed at a American palette. Many of the options were unique, they appeared to have character, but I was in the mood for something a little more simple...and that's unfortunately what I got. I ordered the Teriyaki chicken dish which cost approximately $14 if I'm remembering correctly. This dish was just an utter disappointment considering the price. It was lazily put together and garnished with bland asparagus and a cilantro rice. The chicken was a thin sliver of breast, dry and unappealing. The teriyaki sauce, what should've been the staple of the dish, was just poured over the chicken. The acidity was a little overpowering and the flavor didn't taste fresh. It tasted exactly like the Kroger Teriyaki sauce I bought a couple weeks ago at Bakers. There was nothing that stood out from this dish, it's a simple recipe that falls short at Ponzu. I'm trying to figure out what went through the mind of the head chef coming up with this dish. I feel as if this dish was neglected in some way, perhaps nobody ever ordered it and someone forgot how to make it? Was this supposed to be a fusion of Mexican (cilantro rice), American (asparagus), and Asian? Whatever the vision was, it was lazily thought out and executed poorly. There's no way anyone should be paying $14+ for this. I can name any other restaurant that serves better and cheaper teriyaki than Ponzu. I wouldn't come back here again after this experience.

Amanda Williams

Worst experience ever. I sat at the bar and the bartender seemed annoyed by my seat choice. I ordered 2 sushi rolls and seaweed salad. It took about 30 minutes for my food to come. People who sat after me received their salads and soups, while I just sat there. The bartender never came around me, so I didn’t have a chance to ask about my seaweed salad. Finally, the salad and sushi came out together. One of the rills looked unfamiliar, so I ate my salad and googled the menu, I thought maybe I misunderstood the description of the roll. I realized I got the wrong plate. I guess the lady at the other end of the bar realized she got the wrong plate as well. After about 10 minutes of the wrong plate sitting with me, the bartender just grabbed my plate with no explanation and swapped it out with the other lady!!! I was questioned the bartender and she told me not to worry about it, the other lady didn’t touch here’s either, so it was ok to swap it out. I ate about half of my rolls and just got grossed out about the plate swap. The bartender never checked on me or asked if my food was ok. I asked for my check and the bartender gave it to me about 15 minutes later. During this time, I watched her texting and checking her phone. About another 10 minutes after that she took my card. The bartender was rude, unprofessional and sloppy.

S L

What an amazing happy hour, complete with a great variety of affordable food and drinks! The service was fast and efficient, and our server Billy was friendly, patient, and attentive. He took his time to answer all of our questions, never making us feel rushed. Super nice guy. Delicious sushi. We will be back!

Wai Chan

Happy hour is between 3-6 Monday to Friday and Friday and Saturday include 9-11 The pricing for that is extremely attractive with sushi rolls going for 5 or 8 dollars. The godzilla was a surprise favorite. I'm not often a fan of deep …