Sushi Solano

Restaurant Information

1373 Solano Ave

Albany, CA 94530

(510)528-5800

Rita: The spacious, clean and nicely adorned restaurant was empty when all 6 of us arrived. So naturally, I made everyone sit at the sushi bar. The sushi chefs were affable and talked about where we worked,why the heckness was I taking pictures of the dishes, were we going to report our findings to the USDA headquarters regarding food sanitation, and patiently giving Humpho his 14th lesson in chopstick handling. Poor Humpho, he tries so hard. By the way, methinks theythink I was some crazy Japanese lady who likes to docu

ment every miniscule moment in her life with pictures. That is only partially true - I'm not Japanese.

Mike: A friend of mine judges restaurants by the quality of their bathroom, and if that is the rule, then this one fares pretty well. Sushi Solano not only did boasts immaculately clean facilities, but also treats its patrons to some nice elevator-type music, adding an auditory experience to any restroom visit.

Menu

Food

Chicken Teriyaki

kitzie: This security dish is just as safe and sacred at Sushi Solano as any other halfway decent sushi place. "What made it unique?" you ask... Well, let me tell you: Sushi Solano used good chicken. Also, whatever orange-y, tangy dressing they used on the salad was FREAKING AWESOME. (At first I didn't know what it was- I was thinking they put some kind of fish eggs on my salad and was a bit cautious - like poking it with a chop stick - which, if they noticed it, probably gave the employees a good laugh.) And finally, the service was great - the owner (?) was chatty and informative and the food was quick. All in all, I liked it a lot. Don't listen to Yelp, these people are great.

Chicken Katsu and Chicken Teriyaki

Mike:This lunch special was a good amount of food for the price. The staff were great in steering me toward the best non-fishy items on the menu, plus super friendly and helpful. I'd come back to this place purely based on my experience with the employees, but the fact that the food was better than any other Japanese restaurant I've been to makes that decision a no-brainer. However, my review can only extend to non-sushi items, as my tongue hates me for eating fishy foods, and rewards me with a bad taste.

Soft Shell Crab

Amy: I came here very hungry and left very full. First I ordered a large Sapporo beer with the Soft Shell Crab appetizer. I didn't really like the crab; I was expecting more meat and less crispiness. I don't think I'll order it again.

Rainbow Roll

Amy: I ordered the Rainbow Rolls next. They were tasty but I prefer my sushi to be bite-size, and these were way too large for my mouth. I may be biased, but I like how Happy Sushi in Logan, Utah makes their Rainbow Rolls. Therefore, I judge Rainbow Rolls on how they compare to Happy Sushi. Those were very yummy and I never had to order another dish to satisfy me, but here I had to order another dish.

Spicy Tuna Rolls

Amy: The third dish was the Spicy Tuna Rolls. This was my favorite out of the three meals and the cheapest. The tuna was spicy, (I can always go spicier) and the rolls were bite-size pieces (6 pieces per plate) that fit perfect in my mouth. I liked the atmosphere of the place and the sushi chiefs were very entertaining, but I think I'll keep searching for my favorite sushi restaurant.

Chirashi

Rita: I always rate the quality of a Japanese restaurant by their chirashi. My first thought when I saw this was, "Wow! So pretty!" then, "The tamago makes my maguro look like a rabbit." There is a lot of variety in this dish - ranging from hamachi to cooked mackerel. Even though I was pleased by the quantity, I wasn't impressed by the quality. I think the sashimi might have been sitting out on the sushi bar for a bit too long, making it uncomfortably warm and gummy. The only tasty items were the cooked mushrooms and ebi. Sad.

Rita: So I swiped a bite of the sea bass teriyaki and my tongue was hit with a plethora of flavors, first with the sweet taste of teriyaki down to the grilled aftertaste. You know what I'm talking about? That fabulous carcinogenic taste where you learn that pan fried is never the same as flame kissed? Mcdonald's vs Burger King? Am I making sense here? Anyways, apparently this Japanese restaurant is good for their cooked items, even though their name is SUSHI Solano. Go figure.

Pretty Oranges

Rita: Oranges can be funny. Scenario 1: I got shafted and only got 3 pieces of oranges whilst everyone else got 4 pieces and Sam got 8. The person in charge of oranges must have a crush on Sam and hate me with a passion. Scenario 2: Sam picks up parsley and askes Amy what it was for. Amy says, "You can eat it to get rid of your bad breath." Sam takes this statement personally and asks, "MY bad breath?" Both start giggling for 5 straight minutes. I kid you not.