Hello Sushi is the latest sushi restaurant to open in BatonRouge, prepared to offer sushi lovers something new andexciting.
Hello Sushi officially opened for business on June 7, as asubsidiary of Kamado’s.
Filled with television screens, minimalist furniture andclear-paneled art, the restaurant looks like nothing else in BatonRouge. As upbeat indie music blares on the stereo, patrons cansample non-traditional Japanese appetizers like “Sushi Pizza” or”Wasabi Wings.”
Stephanie Leblanc, Hello Sushi Manager, said local artistsOktober Project and photographer Kevin Duffy designed theartwork.
Hello Sushi’s atmosphere straddles the fine line of overkill.The bumping music and screens encouraging diners to “eat sushi”seem a tad too much like a flashy fashion show. But the atmospheredoes provide diners with a more interesting place for a meal.
Authentic does not seem to be something Hello Sushi is strivingto accomplish. The menu features items such as the Paradise Rollmade of coconut shrimp and avocado topped with mango. The rollmight not come straight from Japan, but it does tastedelicious.
Hello Sushi provides dinners with a more experimental menu thanmany other sushi restaurants around town. The restaurant utilizesfruits in several different rolls. “The Big Apple Roll” featuresapple, cucumber and a crab stick. The “Hello Sushi Roll” featurespineapples, as well as the more traditional green onions, salmon,escolar and a fiery sauce. The “Honor Roll” includes peaches alongwith tempura eel, cream cheese, asparagus and eel sauce.
The menu does offer more basic sushi standbys. Crunchy Rolls,Philly Rolls, Salmon Rolls as well as traditional appetizers likeMiso Soup and Gyoza Dumplings, manage to vie for attention on amenu filled with more exotic fare.
The menu features slogans for each roll, playing on theirclever, but more often contrived names. For example, the Sumo Rolltouts “Big flavor, without the loin cloth.”
Between the slogans and the decor, Hello Sushi is trying alittle too hard to grab the diner’s attention. Hello Sushi seemsdesperate to gain as many collegiate fans as possible by projectinga hip image.
The ingredients taste fresh, but the rolls were not cold enoughto ensure freshness. Servers seemed more interested in rushing outpatrons than taking the time for quality service.
Diners looking for more unusual sushi fare and a differentatmosphere than typical Baton Rouge restaurants will find HelloSushi to be a refreshing change of pace. But the restaurant seemstoo focused on the bells and whistles and not focused enough onquality and service.