Cuisine: Sushi
I’m always a little skeptical of sushi joints this far from the ocean. I mean it’s not like Nebraska sushi or anything, but there’s something about this shack-like Japanese restaurant atop a hill across the street from a giant Whole Foods and a long-closed Kmart that doesn’t exactly engender confidence in a non-wormy dining experience. I’m also having some sort of Mandela Effect thing going on with their font, swearing that it’s the same as the old Kim’s Video signage. But, no, Google tells me otherwise. Though, if you squint, this joint could totally pass for an old-school indie video rental store.
We generally get Kim’s to go. The dining room is the size of the middle section of a trailer and has about the same ambiance. Okay, that’s not fair; it’s cozy. Like your crazy conspiratorial adult cousin’s room in your aunt’s basement. Granted, their website is not… well the experience can sometimes lead to a bit of hair pulling. They definitely didn’t have the Javascript gurus on this one. One you do order to go, they’re not the best at guessing what time your food will be ready. I’ve spent quite a bit of time sitting in their parking lot — or the parking lot next door because, like the restaurant itself, their parking lot is miniscule. Granted, I’ve gotten better at judging their judging and just pad their estimate by 15 minutes or so.
So, the sushi. It’s fine. I mean, the first time I thought it was decent. And the prices seemed not bad. But each subsequent visit, I’ve kind of been less in love with it. And, like every place now, prices are absurd. It’s not fancy, mind you, so they’re not outrageous or anything, but everything now just seems like only millionaires can eat. Not eat out. Just eat. But that’s just me, the guy who once thought a $10 burger was the pinnacle of gourmet overindulgence. And is still a little pissed that burgers are like $18 at mid places now. Honestly, I’m not sure what I’m expecting from sushi. Kim’s does have some funky rolls if you’re into that kind of thing. Things with mounds of crunch and weird, sweet sauces and whatnot. But they also do traditional stuff as well. It’s actually not bad. But I always feel it’s like drinking a $20 bottle of red and thinking it’s decent, until someone hands you that $40 bottle and you’re like, ohhhh, this is wine. So, in a bubble, Kim’s is good. But maybe next to a fresher, more bespoke sushi joint it might seem flat. Granted, we are such gluttons that they always give us a free mystery roll with our order — the threshold for which we’re not sure. It’s always something odd, which is kinda fun and a nice little touch. Which only leaves the question: is it Kim’s as in Kimberly’s, or Kim’s as in my Korean-American friend Dan from high school? Just like the freebee roll, it’s a mystery that will never be solved.
458 Eagle Rock Ave. – West Orange
973/669-2800
kimssushinj.com