RA Sushi
1390 Lancaster Street – Harbor East – [www.rasushi.com]

We won’t apologize for the hype, but in most of our reviews, we’ve been fortunate enough to make similar comments about the places we’ve visited, such as, “I can’t believe we haven’t eaten here yet,” “The food is outstanding,” and, “The place is modern and stylish.” And we’ve used the word “hip” more than Rolling Stone magazine.  Well, kids, chalk up another one to the list: RA Sushi.  All of the above statements do apply.

We rolled into RA early on a Monday evening, and were surprised by the lively crowd.  Once you order your first (adult) beverage, take a minute and inspect the unique and vibrant scene RA has created. The place is red.  Extremely red.  I have mentioned mood lighting and décor in reviews before, but RA reinvented it.  Large, red-lighted orbs hang from the ceiling and match the walls, curtains, tablecloths, and I think even the wait staff. 

The drink menu is wild and exotic, and features martinis (Sea Monkey and Saketini are just two of the many), a variety of sake, and RA’s signature spirits. Erin is expecting, so she is anxiously awaiting our return trip! Before my “dinner sake,” I went with the Effen Around the Ra - Effen Black Cherry Vodka with Cointreau, Sweet and Sour, Cranberry, and a squeeze of Orange.  You want one now, don’t you?  Just writing this, I want another one.  Delicious!

At this point, we were ready to dive in.  We started with Miso Soup, Seaweed Salad, and the Ra’ckin Shrimp, crispy shrimp served over a bed of mixed greens with a creamy ginger teriyaki dipping sauce.  The latter was recommended by our server, Jill, and it was outstanding.

If you are a newcomer to the Sushi scene, they do supply a “Sushi 101” guide in the back of the drink menu to help beginners make sense of it all.  If you aren’t big into sushi at all, RA offers a variety of apps and salads, a few noodle dishes, and a land and sea selection of entrees.  So, don’t let the idea this is strictly a sushi joint keep you away.

Of course, we ordered the Sushi- lots of it.  We had a magnitude of choices.  We ordered the Spicy Tuna Roll, Crunchy Shrimp, King Crab Roll, and the one everyone, including us, will tell you to order – the Viva Las Vegas Roll.  We loved each of our selections, and the presentation was fabulous.  But, the Viva Las Vegas Roll was extra-special. The roll was kani kami and cream cheese rolled in rice and seaweed, lightly tempura battered and topped with spicy tuna, crab mix and finished with eel sauce and spinach tempura flakes. And, as my notes reminded me, had “an artsy potato bike tire (a.k.a. lotus root) sticking in it.”

Already stuffed, as we usually are at this point, we waived off the internal signals and went for dessert.  The Cinnamon Tempura Ice Cream was again a recommendation, and it didn’t disappoint.  The lightly-battered cinnamon swirled ice cream is flash fried and finished with a chocolate-raspberry glaze. Order the Cinnamon Tempura Ice Cream, seriously. And, take a minute just to smell it once it’s placed on the table – it’s quite the dessert experience.

We should have listened to our hipster friends (i.e., Kowalczyk, Sharkey) and checked out this place sooner.  Besides the food and drink specials for Happy Hour, RA fosters a trendy scene and an electric crowd.  If you are looking for a lively, modern hot spot for dinner, or lunch for that matter, look no further than RA Sushi.