The post is dedicated to my little brother, Warren. His 21st birthday was yesterday, as well. This is by far his favorite restaurant in Roanoke, probably anywhere really. I was debating writing about it and he insisted that I must. So I am 🙂
I sound reluctant to be speaking of this place. But in all honesty, it does deserve some very high praise.
This restaurant has the feel of what I imagine a real sushi place in Japan would have. Very light color scheme, very pastel and minimalist decor. The decor that is there is simply different wonderfully painted and decorated Japanese sushi plates. Not to mention, everything is bamboo. Bamboo floors, bamboo chairs, bamboo tables.
Ben Qui is the name of the man who owns this restaurant. More likely than not, you can find him behind the sushi bar delivering his passion to you. And he has it right. His sushi is some of the best sushi in Roanoke for sure, possibly even the state. It is always chilled with the most premium ingredients.
This time I sprung for the Unagi roll and added a bit of avocado. Unagi is eel, for anyone who didn’t know. To be quite honest, I think I found out from an episode of Friends. The one with the Unagi. Anywho, again, his sushi never ceases to amaze me.
The real note worthy dish that this restaurant serves is their fried rice, believe it or not. It is honest to God, the best fried rice you can get in a restaurant, that I have ever tried at least. And I would like to think I’ve tried a lot. It’s not any of that yellow fried rice. I mean really, Chinese restaurants, what is this stuff? Call it weird rice, not fried, because that’s what it is.
The rice is mixed with perfectly sized vegetables and chunks of chicken, sometimes a few shrimp. The flavors of the fried rice is really what makes it so good. They add just the right amount of soy sauce for a normal person. Me, I need more because well, I am not so normal. My palette is not sensitive enough for me to distinguish the flavors of the fried rice but whatever they do to it, they are doing a wonderful job.
Ben Qui Sushi’s tag line is “trust me.” Ben has his “trust me” rolls and such. But with him, you really can. He will fix you right up with awesome food every time.
Happy birthday, Warren!
Carpe Cheese 