Kiyosuzu

Wonderful popular authentic Japanese restaurant. Crowded during busy hours, reserve table if you can although not taken during peak holiday hours. Many fresh /seasonal items to choose from - usually posted on the walls, such as various grilled fish collars (kama), jelly fish, etc. Premium price for these as well as sashimi grade tuna toro, fresh shrimp, halibut, etc. Can also dine on a budget with popular sushi rolls, tempura. Some Japanese sake collection. Sushi rice balls are much larger than the traditional size but fish cuts are very generous. Brisk service. Shared parking in the back lot with other restaurants. Closed Monday. Open for lunch as well. Major credit cards.

The rice of the sushi is only the size of the thumb. The fish in the nigiri is simply to big for the size of the rice that’s portioned. I came to give this place a try for three times and the proportion of the nigiri is always like this. The only well-balanced nigiri is the shrimp nigiri. Their gunkan sushi is not bad. Up until now, this sounds like a 3 star- review. The reason why this place is a one star is because of the tipping. They expect the customers to tip so they don’t have to pay their workers a fair wage. If you are not making enough revenue to pay your servers fairly, please raise the item on your menu. I would be happily paying for what I will be getting on the menu. Employers should be held responsible for the fair pay and not the customers. I was asked to increase my tip, and I did raise my tip. She asked if the server did something wrong. The server did nothing wrong, but the employer did. I thought this establishment is free from the toxic tip culture but alas.

Kiyosuzu is the opposite of all you can eat sushi (AYCE) restaurants. AYCE sushi restaurants to me generally represent lower quality food made by people who are not passionate about their craft. The owner operators of Kiyosuzu have been an Arcadia classic for years for their great service and quality sushi--their passion shows. For slightly above what one might typically pay at a typical AYCE, I left satisfied in terms of the aesthetics of the food, the quantity, and the quality. This is a must visit restaurant in Arcadia and it might be my personal favorite.