Gave THE RICE BASIL A 5 STAR REVIEW FOR THE NEW SERVICE , MENU AND OWNER , After 40 years in food service. This is one of the best around. No chain restaurant here. The plate presentation was phenomenally beautiful! Real sushi beautifully prepared. When my wife and I dined at the bar instead of a table to watch the Sushi being made. Now that, turned out to be an authentic experience you can't get anywhere. From New York to San Francisco, to Tokyo to Mongolia. Soy was the Sushi Master Chef. Batsaikhan Ariunbold From Mongolia. I watched as he made beautiful Art out of food. From Appetizer to dessert.The blend of flavors was heavenly. Now it turned out that Soy," the Chef" is the New Owner, Batsaikhan Ariunbold. After working with a friend and Chef from New York who helped Recreate the New Rice Basil and it works. Asian fusion. Go visit this New Rice Basil. I will again for SURE! Happy Dining!
(5)
Dallis C.
Very good sushi rolls! Quality of rolls is exceptional. Great service. Reasonable prices.
Tried this last night for the first time it was fantastic! We ordered most of the fusion dishes and some sushi. The walnut shrimp was amazing and our server John was wonderful! He even comped some edamame because our food took a little longer than usual. I highly recommend!
(5)
Aleena S.
Pretty good Asian-fusion cuisine place! I come here for lunch during the week and they have good sushi lunch specials. However their sushi is pretty OK. They have a pretty extensive menu. My favorite dish that I've gotten here is the pad thai.
(3)
Chimgee G.
Yum!!!
(5)
W E.
My recommendation: Don't go here. I should have known when the owners were tromping around the place in jeans. What gets better is the owners eating food from a bag at the sushi bar in front of all the customers. Oh, and then the woman owner started picking food out of her teeth with her hands, then goes back to "helping" customers without washing her hands. Waitress let our sushi rolls sit for 15 minutes before bringing them to us. Overpriced, low quality, extremely poor service and atmosphere. Avoid it and go across the street for pizza.
(1)
Sandie D.
Good food...great service, and close to home. Love this new place. It is our new favorite restaurant. Sushi is fresh and Pho is delicious. Great prices too!
(5)
Andrea M.
This is the new location of Rice that was previously on 1100 S State Street. Our waitress told us that one of the two owners left so they moved to a nicer location and changed the name from Rice to Rice Basil. We read a negative yelp review and almost turned around. I'm SO glad we didn't. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful. It feels upscale and has two very nice sushi bars and lots of seating. There was a good amount of diners tonight but noise level was low. Just a really nice, relaxing experience. Our waitress was friendly, attentive and knowledgable about the menu. She was able to answer menu questions for my husband who has severe food allergies. The manager and hostess both stopped by to play with our baby. Food came out quickly and our drinks were refilled multiple times. The food was great! We ordered ... Spicy tuna roll-a bit on the spicy side but very flavorful. Vietnamese Spring roll-really good! Perfect crunchiness and the fish sauce was great. Chicken Pho-Husband loved it, said it had great flavor. "Not as good as La Cai Noodle House, but very close." Pad Thai- I loved it. Shrimp tasted very fresh and the noodles were cooked perfectly. I wish there were leftovers so I could eat it again tomorrow but it was too good not to finish. We had a great experience and can't wait to go back and try more. The menu is large and covers a wide variety of Asian cuisine (Japanese/sushi, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc.) Usually this is a bad thing as too much variety means the quality of food will suffer. But we really did enjoy everything we ordered and prices were reasonable. So happy to have a great, new restaurant pop up in Holladay. Update: After a second visit I'm upping the stars from 3 to 4. We've had two great experiences and great food both times.
(4)
Vida A.
Lunch review only. Place is very clean and nice. Parking is kind of hard. Service was super slow even tho we were the 4th table in the huge space. Our server seemed to go get lost and brought us out the wrong check. Other server was on the computer. We had the sushi lunch special which are small rolls thats comes with miso for $8. Rolls were ok, nothing mind blowing. I had the green curry and it was rather sweet but tasty. I will definitely come back to try more of the menu. Oh btw the sushi is all 50% off but rolls are $16 to $19 pretty pricey to begin with and basics like california roll is $8. I think they hope that the Holladay area will bring in big spenders and I'm sure they are doing just fine.
(3)
Russell R.
Not the most spectacular place but overall good food and extremely reasonable price wise for Holladay. The ramen needs a little help. Kobe sushi on Wasatch is better for ramen but overall I still recommend this place. Good service and decent decor.
(4)
Kathryn S.
The salad with my entree was really big, but nothing special. I would like a different dressing, or choices of dressing. The gyoza were what I expected. I wish I tried the lettuce wraps. I got the Beef Don Buri. It's teriyaki beef on rice with tempura vegetables. Pretty good. My husband got the rainbow roll and the Vegas roll and he liked them both. It's a long menu, so we'll definitely be back to try some other things.
(4)
Randy I.
As a sansei from Salt Lake, I was looking for ramen!!! Of course I chose a Sunday afternoon to do this. So, with 1 cousin from Hawaii, 1 cousin from SF Bay Area, and my mother in tow, I searched for something to have on a Sunday. I checked YELP and found this place open! YAY! Greeted at the door and seated very quickly. Wanted ice tea; but only had sweet ice tea; no thank you; but chose the Thai Iced Tea while sweet; it was very satisfying. My mother had the tempura udon; which I enjoyed the tempura, since it wasn't served in the soup (on the side); so, I could enjoy some of the tempura; she like it alot; and she used to make udon all the time. My cousin from SF Bay Area had the Chicken Pho and he really enjoyed it; loved all of the bean sprouts, limes, basil; didn't see any jalapenos; but he wouldn't have eaten it. My cousin from Hawaii had the My Tho Style Noodle Soup; the noodles didn't look like rice noodles; but a clear noodle; it looked very good also. Now my entree; the waitress suggested a hamachi dish (I can't remember the name - it's not on the menu); she had me at the word hamachi - it came out in a martini glass and I could describe it as a hamachi ceviche with jalapenos and citrus flavor; probably yuzu. Okay, I was like okay it's going to burn; but the jalapenos did not have any veins or seeds; so, the taste was good with some heat; but you could taste the food!!! I loved this appetizer!!! Now, the ramen; I really enjoyed it; nice pork slices and flavorful broth. Only one suggestion have iced tea unsweetened; especially in the summer. Thank you for an enjoyable Sunday afternoon.
(4)
Eric V.
A great addition to the Holladay neighborhood. With the multi ethnic dishes everyone can find something good to eat. We sat at the Sushi bar and Soy, our Sushi Chef ensured we had some premium Toro Nigiri that melts in your mouth. He then suggested some adventurous dishes. The Uni Shot combined Sea Urchin, Quail egg and a shot of Saki. As a nod to his Mongolian heritage we toasted "Tolo." His Soy Salad a cylindrical pile of Seaweed with Squid, Shrimp, and Crab is delicious. The 50% off Sushi rolls are good, yet maybe only 3 stars. A great value and worth it. Our Dessert topped off the dinner with Green Tea Ice Cream encased in Rice pudding sliced into wedges in a Strawberry Sauce. I won't give it 5 stars, but two thumbs up for location, service, variety and atmosphere.
(4)
Amy N.
My husband and I eat here regularly, once every 2-3 weeks. We became fans when their former location, called Rice Fusion, put out a Groupon Deal. We loved it then and still love it now. We always start with a jasmine green tea for me, and barley tea for him. Both come out in lovely porcelain teapots. Husband loves their Walnut Shrimp dish and I'm a fan of starting with a cup of their Egg Drop Soup, minus the fried crunchy bits. Our favorite rolls: Cowboy, which is a tempura roll with steak inside; Playboy which has salmon and eel sauce goodness. New location is smaller and the parking is more difficult, but we still love this place and will continue to go, provided the quality stays the same.
(4)
Dane F.
The food and atmosphere are very good. Parking can be challenging. I think this place tries to serve too many different types of food verses just finding their strength. They have very good sushi and pricing was a touch more then it should be, but not bad. I do love the location. Service was very friendly. If I want something besides sushi then I am more likely to go to Pawitt's Thai about a block or two west.
(4)
Andrea S.
Expansive and expensive menu. We shared the Vietnamese Summer Rolls from the starters menu and the Massiman Curry. The Curry was some of the best I have ever had, however, they served it with little rice and when I asked for more the waitress failed to tell us it cost an extra $2 for about 1/2 a cup!
(4)
David S.
My girlfriend and I were recommended by a friend to Rice Basil for quality sushi. The sushi was excellent. We recommend the nigiri platter. The atmosphere is elegant and modern. The staff is professional and courteous. Highly recommended!!
(5)
Kelsey C.
Living in Southern California for six years sort of ruined me for great Asian food anywhere else, but I really enjoyed Rice Basil. Yes, it's Asian fusion, so it has a bit of the gimmicky-ness of that, but there are Asians in the kitchen and at the sushi bar who know what they're doing. Seeing lots of Asian families camped out at the tables there is a great sign, too. I asked our waiter, a young lady, what she likes on the menu, and that was definitely the right choice. We got the vegetable tempura to start, and our only issue that evening was how long that dish took to arrive. When it finally did, it was perfectly crispy and not greasy at all. The dipping sauce was warm and delicious. Our food came promptly after that, no problems. I ordered the pho which I was wary about after having some the authentic stuff in East L.A. but Rice Basil's was very flavorful - rich, salty, and the perfect temperature - and accompanied by all the fresh toppings (bean sprouts, big stalks of basil, cilantro, hot sauce, etc.) Huge bowl and generous amounts of sliced beef and meatball (meatballs were really delicious). My husband ordered the pork and spring roll in vermicelli rice noodle and he really enjoyed it - very flavorful, crispy spring roll, tender pork. We noticed they have sushi classes and the sushi rolls look really good. We'll try some next time. Aside from the slow-to-arrive tempura, the service was attentive but respectful of our privacy. We didn't have any wait when we arrived. The table by the fireplace is and more private. Definitely coming back here.
(4)
Kasen W.
Used to be 5 stars, the food still is, but they've changed their menu drastically. Less than half of their previous sushi options are on the new menu, and the prices increased. No longer willing to make the long drive from downtown Salt Lake unless they bring back their sushi options! That said, the food is fantastic, and if you live close by, definitely give it a try!
(3)
Grace P.
Good sushi, great price! We loved the character of the building. Wish the sushi bar was a little longer to draw more people for a social setting. It seemed small in comparison to the size of the restaurant. Their was a beautiful fireplace. Unfortunately it wasn't on when we went in, but probably because it was afternoon. We will definitely be back. Great deals with their 1/2 off rolls!
(4)
Gabe S.
So I've always been a fan of Rice before it was Rice Basil. They used to be located in Salt Lake and are now here in Holladay. Service and people are always extremely friendly and helpful and for that they get a 5 star for that. But today, I came in and everything was great other the the selection and the taste of what I ordered. I order simple Shrimp Tempura rolls which were excellent but I also ordered Orange Chicken which wasn't too great. The breading was good but the chicken itself was dry like jerky and there was really no flavor from what you expect from orange chicken. They also took many of the others dishes they used to offer off the menu like the Singapore Noodles and many others. I think they've simplified the menu but not in a good way :(. I actually came all the way across town because I was expecting the great taste I used to get but after today, I don't think I will be retuning :(. It's really a shame that a place so great can go to very simple and lack in quality :(.
(2)
Kenzie D.
Atmosphere was very nice and clean and the menu seemed to have a lot of options but I wasn't really impressed with very much of the food. I had the cream cheese rangoons and the pad Thai. Both just felt really bland to me. Cream cheese rangoons were dry and the sauce with them was very flat. The pad Thai was not impressive either. I loved the noodles they had great consistency and texture and but the peanut sauce was okay. There was no flare no spice to the dish. It was very plain. I also was not impressed with the service it was extremely slow and everything came out as one digs at a time. I went with a group of About 5 and the timing was really strange for when everyone's orders came. Many of the people I went with enjoyed their meals so I might go back and try something else.
(3)
Greg R.
My girlfriend and I come here often. She's more into the sushi than I am, but she loves it! 50% off sushi rolls is an added bonus. This place is great for non-sushi lovers as well. Their chicken fried rice is a delight, as well as their Pepper Steak and Orange Chicken entrees. The restaurant has a nice ambiance and the service is friendly. We will continue to make this one of our regular spots.
(4)
Dena D.
We had a pretty good family meal here. It was great since there were lots of options for non-sushi people, as well as a good sushi selection. I think their sushi offerings really are aimed at rolls. I don't think I would come here for nigiri. They didn't have some traditional offerings (like tamago) and they were out of others (ikura.) I think they are at their best when serving up favorites like tuna, salmon, crab, and shrimp. One of the things that I liked about visiting Rice Basil is seeing their use of space. Since I have lived in SLC, I think there have been about 4 different restaurants in this location. I think part of the problem has been the "lobby" feeling of the space. Rice Basil has done the best job of addressing this problem. Both booths and the sushi bar really help transform the space.
Been here many times, nice place. Mistakes on my check quite often. Understand new owners, hope it does well. Check your Check...
(3)
Sophie G.
Food is amazing! Ask for Soy. He's sushi creations are always fun to watch and taste even better than they look.
(4)
Merecedes G.
Was excited to see a new restaurant in Holladay, especially an Asian fusion one. The place is nice and modern in decor with an open and super clean feel to it. Love the booths against the walls and bright big windows. The menu is expansive and ranges from Sushi, Japanese to Chinese. It was great to choose whatever I was in the mood for. I had chinese food and it was great. Everything was crispy and flavorful. The noodle soups were good also. The portions were great and the prices were normal. I am def going back to enjoy some great asian food and try different things on the menu. Had a good overall experience.
(4)
Anna C.
The sushi is really good except for the fried rolls like Vegas roll. And it's good for half off! The other Asian fusion dishes are just ok. Wish the customer service was better. Seems as if the waitresses just sit around and talk to each other.
(3)
Aimee C.
It's a great restaurant for an affordable price. The decor is very nice. The only thing I didn't like is that it was a little noisy and the waitress wasn't very helpful either. I'll be going back though because I loved their sushi and orange chicken.
(3)
Lisa M.
We Love this place in Holladay. Super convenient, the food has always been amazing (though the sushi rolls are occasionally on the smaller side), but you can't beat the price. We were there last night and all agreed the sushi tasted extremely fresh. There's nothing worse than diving into sushi and it not having quite the right taste and texture. Personally we've never had to wait for long if at all for a table but now that i think of it i don't know that i've ever been there over the weekend when it might get busier.
(5)
Rebecca S.
Best sushi I have ever had! And 50% off!!! The Mars roll was delicious. It was so amazing, I wanted to start an 80's slow clap for the chef. The service was wonderful, I felt like I was at home, if my home was as nicely decorated and I could cook as well. This sushi sets the bar high in this town.
(5)
Geoff W.
You know, I've often thought to myself, "All Salt Lake needs is another restaurant specializing in what I jokingly call "pan-Asian' cuisine": You know, where they make just about EVERYTHING (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, maybe some Vietnamese, etc.), but are not particularly good at making ANYTHING; somewhat inevitably, being spread way too thin across the entire spectrum of these very different cuisines?? Have you noticed these places are popping up all over town lately? Regrettably we have another one of these to add to the list, I'm afraid: Enter RICE BASIL. (I know... an astonishingly creative name for a restaurant, innit?) To what extent they are affiliated with their predecessor of two or three years, RICE (name-wise, also of equally creative wizardry) on State Street is unclear, but what I do know, is that it is definitely worse than its possible sister restaurant of similar ilk, and that the proprietors who loiter comfortably throughout the day in the place watching TV, drinking coffee and soda pop, making loud obnoxious phone calls, and reading newspapers and magazines, in addition to their employees, are EXTREMELY rude, abrasive, money-grubbing, and no doubt destined, success-wise, to soar like the Hindenburg blimp. If you think the notorious staff at Shanghai Cafe are rude (an oft-mentioned sentiment I happen to strongly disagree with), well watchout, because these people are certainly title contenders. Let me begin by saying that I hardly ever write service-based reviews, especially negative ones ( Look at my past reviews). My other disclaimer is that I only tried the sushi at this restaurant, so I cannot speak on behalf of other dishes (Chinese and Thai-style) on the menu. Regrettably, I don't have high hopes for them either, however. I should also mention, that though the fish quality in the case looked okay, there was a limited selection, and all of the rolls we ordered were very hastily made and sloppy, falling apart on us before we could eat them. Too bad, because I always thought this area could use a nice sushi bar / Japanese restaurant. And the carpentry as well as the atmosphere of the building inside are indeed very nice. However after my first experience here (for lunch only, thank God), I will gladly go down the street to Pawit Royale Thai any day of the week over this joint if I'm in the mood for 'Asian Food'. First of all, be very careful how you order, and who you order from. The hardened, unfriendly, stoic sushi 'chef' (for lack of a better word), or dude-in-charge-of-sushi-making rather, is definitely not your guy in this regard. He misunderstood my lunch order of the Shrimp and Vegetables Tempura Bento box, and... get this: instead made a very sloppy SHRIMP tempura roll, accompanied by a roll filled with tempura VEGETABLES and drizzled with a unsurprisingly stingy amount of eel sauce. It sat there for a long time, until I finally told the owner who was sitting right next to us with a newspaper, gnawing on some meaty fried fritter of sorts between phone calls, that I thought it must be hers, afterwhich they both countered that it was definitely mine, regardless of my explaination that I did not order those two items. I could tell they were bothered by this, as they seemed inclined to argue with me about my assertion, rather than an apology or any type of overt offer to rectifiy this situation by making the correct order instead. I was then the recipient of extensive persuasion from both the owner and the 'chef' to go ahead and eat the rolls, and told how yummy deep fried vegetables are in a roll, I was then allowed to continue to watch it up close for quite some time as it was left to sit on the counter directly in front of me. She later insisted, after I had gone ahead and eaten it to be polite, that I had passed on my chance to send it back, at which point the sushi 'chef' would have had to pay for it. These mistake items then went on my bill, going down as the two rolls in a menu special I did not order, and the subsequent roll my wife ordered was tacked on the bill for an extra charge-- full charge, I might add. No apologies or anything; Just a sadly predictable, inspired effort to make sure and pocket the extra dough they wanted to make from gouging me for everything they could. And no 'Thank you's, or pleasantries on our way our the door. Hopefully, someone who knows how to run a business and who realizes the importance of customers and being somewhat pleasant and reasonable with them will come along sooner rather than later, and turn this space into everything it could be. Needless to say, I will never eat here again. This place blows: Less than mediocre food, and unrefined, opportunistic, adversarial management who are only interested in geting your money, one lousy roll at a time. If it were possible to give this place less than one star, I certainly would. Unfortunately, one's the minimum. So Sayonara, Rice Basil! It's been a drag!
(1)
Jason L.
I love the food and the set up in the place. I do not like the server I had. "Jen" was her name. She was ignorant and so pushy. I wanted to try something different. But eras my sure. I asked some questions and she was annoyed. Not cool!
(4)
Raucus B.
The staff is very friendly but the food is middling at best. Fusion it is not. SUPER FRIENDLY: but beware, 10-minutes is stock answer to the "Wait Time" question and is simply a feel good phrase with little truth to it. We waited 30+ minutes. Long enough to hear everyone who arrived after us receive what was a BS line. I advise grabbing a menu if you're willing to wait so you're ready to order when you do get a seat. CLEAN? OR NOT: You decide. The table was not cleaned when we were seated. After requesting a wipe down, the waitress moved around the service ware with the same rag handling hands she used to wipe everything down. I'm not a germophobe but that is not sanitary. But hey, she was very nice about it. SEAWEED SALAD: was the best part of our meal. It was good. Not the best I've had but worth getting if you like seaweed. SPICY TUNA ROLL: should be called the Sriracha Roll as Sriracha is the only flavor you'll taste. Make no mistake, I love Sriracha, but this roll is poor at best. Loosely wrapped equals sloppy presentation and texture. If the rice is seasoned, it's not by much. The tuna is tartar. There is no flavor other than out-of-the-bottle hot sauce. MISO SOUP: tepid with an over abundance of onion which dominates the flavor. Deceptively simple, but patently not good. SIDE SALAD: iceberg lettuce & tomatoes. It was pretty old school crappy. But the Miso Soup wasn't much better... its sixes when choosing between the options given. CHICKEN DON BURI: simple breast cutlet with zero seasoning and overcooked into a balsa slab. The tempura consists of 4 large chunks of squash and sweet potato with decent flavor but heavy and oily. The Teriyaki was ok but verging on the molasses side of the flavor spectrum. And Rice. CHICKEN TERIYAKI PLATE: same chicken as the Don Buri as you would expect. The broccoli was simply steamed broccoli. Zero seasoning. And rice. All three elements in 3 discrete piles on the plate. THINGS TO ENTERTAIN: as you wait, and wait. -We were not alone. Its a busy place and there is good people watching to be had. One couple's meal had stretched to 3 hours. Zen masters I guess but you could tell their patience was on the wain. Apparently they'd run out of things to talk about with each other as they started calling friends to complain. That was fun. -The hosts were incredibly friendly with obvious regulars which very fun to see. No sarcasm. It was nice. -People seem to be legitimately enjoying themselves and I believe Cottonwood is all too happy to have little restaurants to call their own. And they can rally. -Massive Piles of Rice with each dish which begs the question: how much rice do they go through in a day?! -All sushi 1/2 price all the time?! Another question worth pondering. Give truth its due is what I say. 1/2 price of a high price is a sure sign of scheming. How'd they come up with that one in particular? -Fusion? I'd call it a bistro perhaps but not Fusion. Where do you stand? If you're running out of things to talk about while you wait, give that topic a go. Yes... we were running out of topics by the end of our lengthy stay. OVERALL: There's not a lot of love in this food. It is a collection of regional standards from various Asian cuisines but nothing creative. Perhaps if they tried to do one thing very well as opposed to a mediocre bit of everything, they'd be able to serve something swell. But as it stands, they don't do so well. ~m
(2)
David L.
Great Job! 2 visits now. Miso- Excellent, on par with the best in town Tempura- Also very good, light and crispy. Teriyaki- Good but not the best. Improve this and you will reign! (HINT: Go to Kyoto Restaurant, steal their Sauce) House Salad- Fantastic, the Sesame dressing is perfect. I have tried 6 or 7 sushi varieties and have been very satisfied. Service has been above good. Decor and Ambiance are above the top. At least 2 sets of Swords! I like the location as well. There isn't really a parking lot, but lots of parking immediately around. We were able to park right in front of the doors on the street! BONUS Some real PROS: Nice variety of Menu choices. Thai, Japanese and Noodle choices, even Pho! Lots of Veg items. The Miso and Sushi lunch is awesome for $8 Fresh great sushi, talented chefs. Keep at it and this post will turn into 5 stars! I would make it a 4.5 star if I could! I will update this post when I have tried more variety of menu items. I will certainly be coming back, and I can confidently recommend Rice Basil. Be well!
(4)
Terrence W.
I came here thinking that it was Thai basil in cottonwood. Big mistake!! The fried spring rolls were nothing close to the latter. I also tried the pho. I almost slapped my server for lying to me. I gave it a star for the decor but that will only save it. The sauces seem like they aren't made in-house. I did like the plates they used and the sushi chefs were really nice.
(1)
Paige B.
Went there two weeks ago and it was great. Tonight 12-1-13 was terrible. Waited 10 minutes before getting water and it took 40 minutes to get order. The place had more empty tables than full and apparently had 1 server 'Helen'. My pad thai was cold-I am certain it was from the table next to me that ordered pad thai that was rejected because it had chicken in it and that person ordered the vegetarian pad thai. Management needs to get more servers. Sad thing is we took three people that had never been there before but wanted to try it after our rave reviews from our last trip a few weeks ago. Too bad....not sure if we will go back
(1)
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Address :2335 E Murray Holladay Rd
Holladay, UT, 84117
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Robert S.
Gave THE RICE BASIL A 5 STAR REVIEW FOR THE NEW SERVICE , MENU AND OWNER , After 40 years in food service. This is one of the best around. No chain restaurant here. The plate presentation was phenomenally beautiful! Real sushi beautifully prepared. When my wife and I dined at the bar instead of a table to watch the Sushi being made. Now that, turned out to be an authentic experience you can't get anywhere. From New York to San Francisco, to Tokyo to Mongolia. Soy was the Sushi Master Chef. Batsaikhan Ariunbold From Mongolia. I watched as he made beautiful Art out of food. From Appetizer to dessert.The blend of flavors was heavenly. Now it turned out that Soy," the Chef" is the New Owner, Batsaikhan Ariunbold. After working with a friend and Chef from New York who helped Recreate the New Rice Basil and it works. Asian fusion. Go visit this New Rice Basil. I will again for SURE! Happy Dining!
(5)Dallis C.
Very good sushi rolls! Quality of rolls is exceptional. Great service. Reasonable prices.
(5)Chris M.
I don't enjoy leaving bad reviews as I like to give the benefit of the doubt, and I don't enjoy criticizing other people's work, but my experience at Rice Basil last night was nothing short of disastrous--easily the worst experience I have had at a restaurant, anywhere. tl;dr * Terrible service from the start, which includes some guests never actually being shown to the table * We sat for three hours with no refills and some people not being served until then. * Food arrived lukewarm and incomplete. * When we left, the staff stared us down like we were their enemy--creepy! * Cozy atmosphere ;) For those of you interested in reading more, grab a blanket, pop some corn, and hold on to your butts. Here we go. I would like to say that our experience was an anomaly, but from other reviews apparently it may soon be the normal. Our group of 15-20 had a reservation. We arrived on time. The restaurant had another 10 patrons. Sparse crowd. Although I was shown to my seat others were only told, "you're in the room," and left to find it for themselves. Moral of the story: Bring a GPS. Instead of individually asking what we'd like to drink, our waitress half-heartedly called out from a corner if anybody wanted anything to drink. Weird. From the time we sat down to the time all drinks were served (Thai tea, a couple beers, 1 glass of wine, 1 small order of sake) we had been sitting for 45 minutes. P.S. The Thai Iced Tea is delicious. One person ordered a Sapporo beer, labeled on the menu as 20oz, but received a 12 oz. bottle instead--with no word as to why or that there was even a choice. Moral of the story: Don't come thirsty; objects on menu are smaller than they appear. About half of us ordered appetizers. I ordered the Gyoza. They arrived in a decent time. They had good flavor and size. Their temperature and consistency were just right for immediate consumption. The sauce complimented the flavor. Over an hour in, only two of us had received our appetizers. Everybody else was left waiting. 40 minutes passed before anybody else's appetizers came out. Two entrées came out at the same time another 2 appetizers were served. I ordered the Nabiyake Udon, (tempura shrimp, chicken, egg, and vegetables in an udon soup). It was served lukewarm and was missing the egg and vegetables in the soup. (Tempura veggies on the side.) At least it had chicken and noodles. Afraid it would be too cold to enjoy soon, I started eating right away. The soup's flavor was relatively simple: beef broth with some herbs thrown in. The sushi I ordered arrived with the udon, but the Masaman curry my wife ordered took another 30 minutes. My sushi's flavor was good, but its construction was shoddy: loose and falling apart with a few grains of rice in each of the end pieces. The nori hung flaccidly about the edges. The Masaman curry was loaded with sugar and was too sweet. (We wondered if it was cane sugar instead of palm.) To say our food trickled out of the kitchen might be an understatement: About every 20 minutes another dish or two came out, and in between, nothing but crickets. No waitress, nothing. 3 out of 20 of us were done eating by the time some people received appetizers. Glasses remained empty. Moral of the story: One cannot live on crickets alone. Let's just skip to the end. 3 hours--not a typo--into our meal, some people's food had yet to be served. About half of the people who ordered were served incomplete meals. One couple had to leave after 3 hours, and their daughter hadn't been served her sushi yet; they had to ask for the it in a to go box. We were told 2 hours into our experience that the kitchen had decided to no longer cook rice. Uh, okay... everyone's dishes (ordered long ago) come with rice, but the kitchen doesn't want to serve it? Later, the waitress came out with two scant bowls of brown rice, held them up and said, "Who wants them?" Um... AWKWARD! Maybe if we split it, we can all have a few grains. At this point, were they trying to be bad? My vote is yes. We raised our concerns about missing food items, some people not having been served after being there all night, and yet there was no apology, no attempt to make things right, nothing. The managers never showed, but chose to leave the waitress hanging high and dry with no explanations. One person received their bill with two items he wasn't even served (but had ordered). Another was charged twice. Moral of the story: You can't have your rice and eat it too. Actually, you just can't have your rice. Or your egg. Even after expecting us and with only a small handful of customers, what our group experienced last night was a complete fiasco. As far as I can tell the incompetence runs all the way to the top. From the ultra-slow service to the incomplete dishes to the stare-down we received from the staff on our way out, this place was a royal let-down. Moral of the story: Eat before you visit, and order a to-go box first to save yourself some time.
(1)Krisann B.
Tried this last night for the first time it was fantastic! We ordered most of the fusion dishes and some sushi. The walnut shrimp was amazing and our server John was wonderful! He even comped some edamame because our food took a little longer than usual. I highly recommend!
(5)Aleena S.
Pretty good Asian-fusion cuisine place! I come here for lunch during the week and they have good sushi lunch specials. However their sushi is pretty OK. They have a pretty extensive menu. My favorite dish that I've gotten here is the pad thai.
(3)Chimgee G.
Yum!!!
(5)W E.
My recommendation: Don't go here. I should have known when the owners were tromping around the place in jeans. What gets better is the owners eating food from a bag at the sushi bar in front of all the customers. Oh, and then the woman owner started picking food out of her teeth with her hands, then goes back to "helping" customers without washing her hands. Waitress let our sushi rolls sit for 15 minutes before bringing them to us. Overpriced, low quality, extremely poor service and atmosphere. Avoid it and go across the street for pizza.
(1)Sandie D.
Good food...great service, and close to home. Love this new place. It is our new favorite restaurant. Sushi is fresh and Pho is delicious. Great prices too!
(5)Andrea M.
This is the new location of Rice that was previously on 1100 S State Street. Our waitress told us that one of the two owners left so they moved to a nicer location and changed the name from Rice to Rice Basil. We read a negative yelp review and almost turned around. I'm SO glad we didn't. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful. It feels upscale and has two very nice sushi bars and lots of seating. There was a good amount of diners tonight but noise level was low. Just a really nice, relaxing experience. Our waitress was friendly, attentive and knowledgable about the menu. She was able to answer menu questions for my husband who has severe food allergies. The manager and hostess both stopped by to play with our baby. Food came out quickly and our drinks were refilled multiple times. The food was great! We ordered ... Spicy tuna roll-a bit on the spicy side but very flavorful. Vietnamese Spring roll-really good! Perfect crunchiness and the fish sauce was great. Chicken Pho-Husband loved it, said it had great flavor. "Not as good as La Cai Noodle House, but very close." Pad Thai- I loved it. Shrimp tasted very fresh and the noodles were cooked perfectly. I wish there were leftovers so I could eat it again tomorrow but it was too good not to finish. We had a great experience and can't wait to go back and try more. The menu is large and covers a wide variety of Asian cuisine (Japanese/sushi, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc.) Usually this is a bad thing as too much variety means the quality of food will suffer. But we really did enjoy everything we ordered and prices were reasonable. So happy to have a great, new restaurant pop up in Holladay. Update: After a second visit I'm upping the stars from 3 to 4. We've had two great experiences and great food both times.
(4)Vida A.
Lunch review only. Place is very clean and nice. Parking is kind of hard. Service was super slow even tho we were the 4th table in the huge space. Our server seemed to go get lost and brought us out the wrong check. Other server was on the computer. We had the sushi lunch special which are small rolls thats comes with miso for $8. Rolls were ok, nothing mind blowing. I had the green curry and it was rather sweet but tasty. I will definitely come back to try more of the menu. Oh btw the sushi is all 50% off but rolls are $16 to $19 pretty pricey to begin with and basics like california roll is $8. I think they hope that the Holladay area will bring in big spenders and I'm sure they are doing just fine.
(3)Russell R.
Not the most spectacular place but overall good food and extremely reasonable price wise for Holladay. The ramen needs a little help. Kobe sushi on Wasatch is better for ramen but overall I still recommend this place. Good service and decent decor.
(4)Kathryn S.
The salad with my entree was really big, but nothing special. I would like a different dressing, or choices of dressing. The gyoza were what I expected. I wish I tried the lettuce wraps. I got the Beef Don Buri. It's teriyaki beef on rice with tempura vegetables. Pretty good. My husband got the rainbow roll and the Vegas roll and he liked them both. It's a long menu, so we'll definitely be back to try some other things.
(4)Randy I.
As a sansei from Salt Lake, I was looking for ramen!!! Of course I chose a Sunday afternoon to do this. So, with 1 cousin from Hawaii, 1 cousin from SF Bay Area, and my mother in tow, I searched for something to have on a Sunday. I checked YELP and found this place open! YAY! Greeted at the door and seated very quickly. Wanted ice tea; but only had sweet ice tea; no thank you; but chose the Thai Iced Tea while sweet; it was very satisfying. My mother had the tempura udon; which I enjoyed the tempura, since it wasn't served in the soup (on the side); so, I could enjoy some of the tempura; she like it alot; and she used to make udon all the time. My cousin from SF Bay Area had the Chicken Pho and he really enjoyed it; loved all of the bean sprouts, limes, basil; didn't see any jalapenos; but he wouldn't have eaten it. My cousin from Hawaii had the My Tho Style Noodle Soup; the noodles didn't look like rice noodles; but a clear noodle; it looked very good also. Now my entree; the waitress suggested a hamachi dish (I can't remember the name - it's not on the menu); she had me at the word hamachi - it came out in a martini glass and I could describe it as a hamachi ceviche with jalapenos and citrus flavor; probably yuzu. Okay, I was like okay it's going to burn; but the jalapenos did not have any veins or seeds; so, the taste was good with some heat; but you could taste the food!!! I loved this appetizer!!! Now, the ramen; I really enjoyed it; nice pork slices and flavorful broth. Only one suggestion have iced tea unsweetened; especially in the summer. Thank you for an enjoyable Sunday afternoon.
(4)Eric V.
A great addition to the Holladay neighborhood. With the multi ethnic dishes everyone can find something good to eat. We sat at the Sushi bar and Soy, our Sushi Chef ensured we had some premium Toro Nigiri that melts in your mouth. He then suggested some adventurous dishes. The Uni Shot combined Sea Urchin, Quail egg and a shot of Saki. As a nod to his Mongolian heritage we toasted "Tolo." His Soy Salad a cylindrical pile of Seaweed with Squid, Shrimp, and Crab is delicious. The 50% off Sushi rolls are good, yet maybe only 3 stars. A great value and worth it. Our Dessert topped off the dinner with Green Tea Ice Cream encased in Rice pudding sliced into wedges in a Strawberry Sauce. I won't give it 5 stars, but two thumbs up for location, service, variety and atmosphere.
(4)Amy N.
My husband and I eat here regularly, once every 2-3 weeks. We became fans when their former location, called Rice Fusion, put out a Groupon Deal. We loved it then and still love it now. We always start with a jasmine green tea for me, and barley tea for him. Both come out in lovely porcelain teapots. Husband loves their Walnut Shrimp dish and I'm a fan of starting with a cup of their Egg Drop Soup, minus the fried crunchy bits. Our favorite rolls: Cowboy, which is a tempura roll with steak inside; Playboy which has salmon and eel sauce goodness. New location is smaller and the parking is more difficult, but we still love this place and will continue to go, provided the quality stays the same.
(4)Dane F.
The food and atmosphere are very good. Parking can be challenging. I think this place tries to serve too many different types of food verses just finding their strength. They have very good sushi and pricing was a touch more then it should be, but not bad. I do love the location. Service was very friendly. If I want something besides sushi then I am more likely to go to Pawitt's Thai about a block or two west.
(4)Andrea S.
Expansive and expensive menu. We shared the Vietnamese Summer Rolls from the starters menu and the Massiman Curry. The Curry was some of the best I have ever had, however, they served it with little rice and when I asked for more the waitress failed to tell us it cost an extra $2 for about 1/2 a cup!
(4)David S.
My girlfriend and I were recommended by a friend to Rice Basil for quality sushi. The sushi was excellent. We recommend the nigiri platter. The atmosphere is elegant and modern. The staff is professional and courteous. Highly recommended!!
(5)Kelsey C.
Living in Southern California for six years sort of ruined me for great Asian food anywhere else, but I really enjoyed Rice Basil. Yes, it's Asian fusion, so it has a bit of the gimmicky-ness of that, but there are Asians in the kitchen and at the sushi bar who know what they're doing. Seeing lots of Asian families camped out at the tables there is a great sign, too. I asked our waiter, a young lady, what she likes on the menu, and that was definitely the right choice. We got the vegetable tempura to start, and our only issue that evening was how long that dish took to arrive. When it finally did, it was perfectly crispy and not greasy at all. The dipping sauce was warm and delicious. Our food came promptly after that, no problems. I ordered the pho which I was wary about after having some the authentic stuff in East L.A. but Rice Basil's was very flavorful - rich, salty, and the perfect temperature - and accompanied by all the fresh toppings (bean sprouts, big stalks of basil, cilantro, hot sauce, etc.) Huge bowl and generous amounts of sliced beef and meatball (meatballs were really delicious). My husband ordered the pork and spring roll in vermicelli rice noodle and he really enjoyed it - very flavorful, crispy spring roll, tender pork. We noticed they have sushi classes and the sushi rolls look really good. We'll try some next time. Aside from the slow-to-arrive tempura, the service was attentive but respectful of our privacy. We didn't have any wait when we arrived. The table by the fireplace is and more private. Definitely coming back here.
(4)Kasen W.
Used to be 5 stars, the food still is, but they've changed their menu drastically. Less than half of their previous sushi options are on the new menu, and the prices increased. No longer willing to make the long drive from downtown Salt Lake unless they bring back their sushi options! That said, the food is fantastic, and if you live close by, definitely give it a try!
(3)Grace P.
Good sushi, great price! We loved the character of the building. Wish the sushi bar was a little longer to draw more people for a social setting. It seemed small in comparison to the size of the restaurant. Their was a beautiful fireplace. Unfortunately it wasn't on when we went in, but probably because it was afternoon. We will definitely be back. Great deals with their 1/2 off rolls!
(4)Gabe S.
So I've always been a fan of Rice before it was Rice Basil. They used to be located in Salt Lake and are now here in Holladay. Service and people are always extremely friendly and helpful and for that they get a 5 star for that. But today, I came in and everything was great other the the selection and the taste of what I ordered. I order simple Shrimp Tempura rolls which were excellent but I also ordered Orange Chicken which wasn't too great. The breading was good but the chicken itself was dry like jerky and there was really no flavor from what you expect from orange chicken. They also took many of the others dishes they used to offer off the menu like the Singapore Noodles and many others. I think they've simplified the menu but not in a good way :(. I actually came all the way across town because I was expecting the great taste I used to get but after today, I don't think I will be retuning :(. It's really a shame that a place so great can go to very simple and lack in quality :(.
(2)Kenzie D.
Atmosphere was very nice and clean and the menu seemed to have a lot of options but I wasn't really impressed with very much of the food. I had the cream cheese rangoons and the pad Thai. Both just felt really bland to me. Cream cheese rangoons were dry and the sauce with them was very flat. The pad Thai was not impressive either. I loved the noodles they had great consistency and texture and but the peanut sauce was okay. There was no flare no spice to the dish. It was very plain. I also was not impressed with the service it was extremely slow and everything came out as one digs at a time. I went with a group of About 5 and the timing was really strange for when everyone's orders came. Many of the people I went with enjoyed their meals so I might go back and try something else.
(3)Greg R.
My girlfriend and I come here often. She's more into the sushi than I am, but she loves it! 50% off sushi rolls is an added bonus. This place is great for non-sushi lovers as well. Their chicken fried rice is a delight, as well as their Pepper Steak and Orange Chicken entrees. The restaurant has a nice ambiance and the service is friendly. We will continue to make this one of our regular spots.
(4)Dena D.
We had a pretty good family meal here. It was great since there were lots of options for non-sushi people, as well as a good sushi selection. I think their sushi offerings really are aimed at rolls. I don't think I would come here for nigiri. They didn't have some traditional offerings (like tamago) and they were out of others (ikura.) I think they are at their best when serving up favorites like tuna, salmon, crab, and shrimp. One of the things that I liked about visiting Rice Basil is seeing their use of space. Since I have lived in SLC, I think there have been about 4 different restaurants in this location. I think part of the problem has been the "lobby" feeling of the space. Rice Basil has done the best job of addressing this problem. Both booths and the sushi bar really help transform the space.
(3)Cameron N.
My Letter to the Owner(s)/Manager(s): To whom it may concern, Tonight I celebrated my birthday at your restaurant with a group of 20 of my closest friends. I chose your restaurant based on previous experiences at your old location and was so excited to return and introduce a great new place to all my friends--extreme "foodies". My reservation was at 6:30pm on 12/14/2014. My party arrived between 6:20 & 6:45. The hostess advised that we would be seated in "the room" and pointed in an ambiguous direction--so we walked around and found the room and took our seat. Ashley, our waitress, came in and took our drink orders. We perused the menu options, made our decisions and waited. And waited. Ashley came back with some of the drinks and left to get the rest. So we continued to wait. After about 45 minutes, she came back with the rest of the drinks and to take our order. We waited 40 minutes before a couple of the appetizers came out. Another 20 minutes and another portion of the appetizers came out. Then we waited an additional 20 minutes for the first entrées to be served. The entrées followed the same pattern as the appetizers and came a good 15-30 minutes apart from each other. We all ordered at the same time as a group and some of the dishes were not served until 9:00pm! THEN we had to wait for our checks. We didn't leave your restaurant until 9:30pm. When complaints were made, Management left Ashley to handle everything on her own. I have worked in the food industry in a similar type restaurant and understand things don't always go according to plan and things happen. HOWEVER, I still am not able to comprehend my dining experience at your restaurant: 1. With a group of 20 people, you need more than one server--at least some additional help with bringing out dishes, re-filling drinks and bussing the tables. 2. When the first entrees were brought out, we were told rice was being made (as they all came with rice). When the last entrée was brought out (again, around 9pm) we were told "they are not making any more rice this evening." (Why wasn't the rice put in to cook when the orders were made 2 hours before?) 3. When complaints were made about the entire experience, there was no apology or gesture to try and right the situation. Some of my guests refused to pay as they were not given what they tried to purchase. No one even came to talk to them about it. 4. The General Manager or Shift Manager should have come and talked to our group, greatly discounted or completely compensated our meals. Again, I understand things happen or you are short staffed on a particular night...but if that is the case and you have a large party, the Manager should be making the rounds explaining the situation, apologizing, and offering some kind of gesture to help make the experience a good one--this is a customer service experience after all. This was the worst dining experience I have ever had. Not only have you lost my repeat business and recommendations to future patrons, you have tainted your reputation with all 20 of my guests whom I invited to your restaurant to celebrate with me--many of which are avid reviewers/bloggers. And as you know, word of mouth advertising is a restaurants biggest and best or worst source of advertising.
(1)Michelle S.
Been here many times, nice place. Mistakes on my check quite often. Understand new owners, hope it does well. Check your Check...
(3)Sophie G.
Food is amazing! Ask for Soy. He's sushi creations are always fun to watch and taste even better than they look.
(4)Merecedes G.
Was excited to see a new restaurant in Holladay, especially an Asian fusion one. The place is nice and modern in decor with an open and super clean feel to it. Love the booths against the walls and bright big windows. The menu is expansive and ranges from Sushi, Japanese to Chinese. It was great to choose whatever I was in the mood for. I had chinese food and it was great. Everything was crispy and flavorful. The noodle soups were good also. The portions were great and the prices were normal. I am def going back to enjoy some great asian food and try different things on the menu. Had a good overall experience.
(4)Anna C.
The sushi is really good except for the fried rolls like Vegas roll. And it's good for half off! The other Asian fusion dishes are just ok. Wish the customer service was better. Seems as if the waitresses just sit around and talk to each other.
(3)Aimee C.
It's a great restaurant for an affordable price. The decor is very nice. The only thing I didn't like is that it was a little noisy and the waitress wasn't very helpful either. I'll be going back though because I loved their sushi and orange chicken.
(3)Lisa M.
We Love this place in Holladay. Super convenient, the food has always been amazing (though the sushi rolls are occasionally on the smaller side), but you can't beat the price. We were there last night and all agreed the sushi tasted extremely fresh. There's nothing worse than diving into sushi and it not having quite the right taste and texture. Personally we've never had to wait for long if at all for a table but now that i think of it i don't know that i've ever been there over the weekend when it might get busier.
(5)Rebecca S.
Best sushi I have ever had! And 50% off!!! The Mars roll was delicious. It was so amazing, I wanted to start an 80's slow clap for the chef. The service was wonderful, I felt like I was at home, if my home was as nicely decorated and I could cook as well. This sushi sets the bar high in this town.
(5)Geoff W.
You know, I've often thought to myself, "All Salt Lake needs is another restaurant specializing in what I jokingly call "pan-Asian' cuisine": You know, where they make just about EVERYTHING (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, maybe some Vietnamese, etc.), but are not particularly good at making ANYTHING; somewhat inevitably, being spread way too thin across the entire spectrum of these very different cuisines?? Have you noticed these places are popping up all over town lately? Regrettably we have another one of these to add to the list, I'm afraid: Enter RICE BASIL. (I know... an astonishingly creative name for a restaurant, innit?) To what extent they are affiliated with their predecessor of two or three years, RICE (name-wise, also of equally creative wizardry) on State Street is unclear, but what I do know, is that it is definitely worse than its possible sister restaurant of similar ilk, and that the proprietors who loiter comfortably throughout the day in the place watching TV, drinking coffee and soda pop, making loud obnoxious phone calls, and reading newspapers and magazines, in addition to their employees, are EXTREMELY rude, abrasive, money-grubbing, and no doubt destined, success-wise, to soar like the Hindenburg blimp. If you think the notorious staff at Shanghai Cafe are rude (an oft-mentioned sentiment I happen to strongly disagree with), well watchout, because these people are certainly title contenders. Let me begin by saying that I hardly ever write service-based reviews, especially negative ones ( Look at my past reviews). My other disclaimer is that I only tried the sushi at this restaurant, so I cannot speak on behalf of other dishes (Chinese and Thai-style) on the menu. Regrettably, I don't have high hopes for them either, however. I should also mention, that though the fish quality in the case looked okay, there was a limited selection, and all of the rolls we ordered were very hastily made and sloppy, falling apart on us before we could eat them. Too bad, because I always thought this area could use a nice sushi bar / Japanese restaurant. And the carpentry as well as the atmosphere of the building inside are indeed very nice. However after my first experience here (for lunch only, thank God), I will gladly go down the street to Pawit Royale Thai any day of the week over this joint if I'm in the mood for 'Asian Food'. First of all, be very careful how you order, and who you order from. The hardened, unfriendly, stoic sushi 'chef' (for lack of a better word), or dude-in-charge-of-sushi-making rather, is definitely not your guy in this regard. He misunderstood my lunch order of the Shrimp and Vegetables Tempura Bento box, and... get this: instead made a very sloppy SHRIMP tempura roll, accompanied by a roll filled with tempura VEGETABLES and drizzled with a unsurprisingly stingy amount of eel sauce. It sat there for a long time, until I finally told the owner who was sitting right next to us with a newspaper, gnawing on some meaty fried fritter of sorts between phone calls, that I thought it must be hers, afterwhich they both countered that it was definitely mine, regardless of my explaination that I did not order those two items. I could tell they were bothered by this, as they seemed inclined to argue with me about my assertion, rather than an apology or any type of overt offer to rectifiy this situation by making the correct order instead. I was then the recipient of extensive persuasion from both the owner and the 'chef' to go ahead and eat the rolls, and told how yummy deep fried vegetables are in a roll, I was then allowed to continue to watch it up close for quite some time as it was left to sit on the counter directly in front of me. She later insisted, after I had gone ahead and eaten it to be polite, that I had passed on my chance to send it back, at which point the sushi 'chef' would have had to pay for it. These mistake items then went on my bill, going down as the two rolls in a menu special I did not order, and the subsequent roll my wife ordered was tacked on the bill for an extra charge-- full charge, I might add. No apologies or anything; Just a sadly predictable, inspired effort to make sure and pocket the extra dough they wanted to make from gouging me for everything they could. And no 'Thank you's, or pleasantries on our way our the door. Hopefully, someone who knows how to run a business and who realizes the importance of customers and being somewhat pleasant and reasonable with them will come along sooner rather than later, and turn this space into everything it could be. Needless to say, I will never eat here again. This place blows: Less than mediocre food, and unrefined, opportunistic, adversarial management who are only interested in geting your money, one lousy roll at a time. If it were possible to give this place less than one star, I certainly would. Unfortunately, one's the minimum. So Sayonara, Rice Basil! It's been a drag!
(1)Jason L.
I love the food and the set up in the place. I do not like the server I had. "Jen" was her name. She was ignorant and so pushy. I wanted to try something different. But eras my sure. I asked some questions and she was annoyed. Not cool!
(4)Raucus B.
The staff is very friendly but the food is middling at best. Fusion it is not. SUPER FRIENDLY: but beware, 10-minutes is stock answer to the "Wait Time" question and is simply a feel good phrase with little truth to it. We waited 30+ minutes. Long enough to hear everyone who arrived after us receive what was a BS line. I advise grabbing a menu if you're willing to wait so you're ready to order when you do get a seat. CLEAN? OR NOT: You decide. The table was not cleaned when we were seated. After requesting a wipe down, the waitress moved around the service ware with the same rag handling hands she used to wipe everything down. I'm not a germophobe but that is not sanitary. But hey, she was very nice about it. SEAWEED SALAD: was the best part of our meal. It was good. Not the best I've had but worth getting if you like seaweed. SPICY TUNA ROLL: should be called the Sriracha Roll as Sriracha is the only flavor you'll taste. Make no mistake, I love Sriracha, but this roll is poor at best. Loosely wrapped equals sloppy presentation and texture. If the rice is seasoned, it's not by much. The tuna is tartar. There is no flavor other than out-of-the-bottle hot sauce. MISO SOUP: tepid with an over abundance of onion which dominates the flavor. Deceptively simple, but patently not good. SIDE SALAD: iceberg lettuce & tomatoes. It was pretty old school crappy. But the Miso Soup wasn't much better... its sixes when choosing between the options given. CHICKEN DON BURI: simple breast cutlet with zero seasoning and overcooked into a balsa slab. The tempura consists of 4 large chunks of squash and sweet potato with decent flavor but heavy and oily. The Teriyaki was ok but verging on the molasses side of the flavor spectrum. And Rice. CHICKEN TERIYAKI PLATE: same chicken as the Don Buri as you would expect. The broccoli was simply steamed broccoli. Zero seasoning. And rice. All three elements in 3 discrete piles on the plate. THINGS TO ENTERTAIN: as you wait, and wait. -We were not alone. Its a busy place and there is good people watching to be had. One couple's meal had stretched to 3 hours. Zen masters I guess but you could tell their patience was on the wain. Apparently they'd run out of things to talk about with each other as they started calling friends to complain. That was fun. -The hosts were incredibly friendly with obvious regulars which very fun to see. No sarcasm. It was nice. -People seem to be legitimately enjoying themselves and I believe Cottonwood is all too happy to have little restaurants to call their own. And they can rally. -Massive Piles of Rice with each dish which begs the question: how much rice do they go through in a day?! -All sushi 1/2 price all the time?! Another question worth pondering. Give truth its due is what I say. 1/2 price of a high price is a sure sign of scheming. How'd they come up with that one in particular? -Fusion? I'd call it a bistro perhaps but not Fusion. Where do you stand? If you're running out of things to talk about while you wait, give that topic a go. Yes... we were running out of topics by the end of our lengthy stay. OVERALL: There's not a lot of love in this food. It is a collection of regional standards from various Asian cuisines but nothing creative. Perhaps if they tried to do one thing very well as opposed to a mediocre bit of everything, they'd be able to serve something swell. But as it stands, they don't do so well. ~m
(2)David L.
Great Job! 2 visits now. Miso- Excellent, on par with the best in town Tempura- Also very good, light and crispy. Teriyaki- Good but not the best. Improve this and you will reign! (HINT: Go to Kyoto Restaurant, steal their Sauce) House Salad- Fantastic, the Sesame dressing is perfect. I have tried 6 or 7 sushi varieties and have been very satisfied. Service has been above good. Decor and Ambiance are above the top. At least 2 sets of Swords! I like the location as well. There isn't really a parking lot, but lots of parking immediately around. We were able to park right in front of the doors on the street! BONUS Some real PROS: Nice variety of Menu choices. Thai, Japanese and Noodle choices, even Pho! Lots of Veg items. The Miso and Sushi lunch is awesome for $8 Fresh great sushi, talented chefs. Keep at it and this post will turn into 5 stars! I would make it a 4.5 star if I could! I will update this post when I have tried more variety of menu items. I will certainly be coming back, and I can confidently recommend Rice Basil. Be well!
(4)Terrence W.
I came here thinking that it was Thai basil in cottonwood. Big mistake!! The fried spring rolls were nothing close to the latter. I also tried the pho. I almost slapped my server for lying to me. I gave it a star for the decor but that will only save it. The sauces seem like they aren't made in-house. I did like the plates they used and the sushi chefs were really nice.
(1)Paige B.
Went there two weeks ago and it was great. Tonight 12-1-13 was terrible. Waited 10 minutes before getting water and it took 40 minutes to get order. The place had more empty tables than full and apparently had 1 server 'Helen'. My pad thai was cold-I am certain it was from the table next to me that ordered pad thai that was rejected because it had chicken in it and that person ordered the vegetarian pad thai. Management needs to get more servers. Sad thing is we took three people that had never been there before but wanted to try it after our rave reviews from our last trip a few weeks ago. Too bad....not sure if we will go back
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