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Went there for lunch this afternoon after hearing it was the top sushi place in San Jose (I suppose this is a bit like having the best borscht in Bali).
The Tryp Corobici is quite nice and now a Crowne Plaza location. A little ritzy titzy for my taste but great if you were on business.
It's a quick shot upstairs and to the back to find Fuji.
I was seated promptly at the bar but I wanted to check out a little of all they had to offer between sashimi, cooked food, sushi rolls and teppanyaki.
The teppanyaki stuff was pretty plain from what I saw, a bit like Benihana without the show (oddly, Benihana is an easy walk from here). I did not partake but got a good look. The teppanyaki chef was from Costa Rica, the two sushi chefs were from Japan.
The Tempura and other cooked foods were also basic, they did not have the two things I tried to order from the menu (this came up again at dessert, they only had half the menu so I passed).
What I wound up getting was a sashimi combo which had salmon, tuna, ono, yellowtail and snapper. The snapper did not have great consistency, I did not really care for it. The salmon came recommended but I thought it was just above average and the tuna lacked the robust color and accompanying flavor I always like from a medium fatty tuna. Typically I am not a big yellow tail fan but it was probably the second best selection on the plate. The ono was incredible, with a spectacular texture, a subtle yet distinct flavor and a noticeable impact on the palate.
In hindsight, I wish I would have ordered the shrimp and avocado or tuna and salmon roll, but I went with the Fuji Maki (house specialty). The rolls here are quite traditional. They have excellent rice and are quite filling with eight large pieces, but do not expect any sauces, cream cheese or other imposingly flavorful ingredients. I have eaten at many places like this, some of which have been better quality and value, others of which have been worse in both respects.
The total bill for the 16-piece sashimi sampler, the house special roll and a "cold" green tea (it was excellent but not cold) was about $35. I would say that is a bit on the high side for what you get but the rolls are substantial and the sashimi was above average. Apart from the sashimi,I think most items on the menu were 15-35% above what I would expect to pay for a comparable location in the U.S.
In addition to not having several things on the menu and being rather picky about any combination or substitution (even of equally priced items), I thought the service here was pretty weak. The chefs seldom if ever spoke (I speak Spanish as they do and I know the names of all the fish and ingredients in Japanese) and did not offer any small plates for tasting as in a good North American or European sushi spot. The waiters were considerably worse, with my original waiter leaving for the entire span of the meal and my glass of tea being empty for nearly a half hour before I was asked if I wanted another. This was particularly strange as once they had failed to complete my first order, I told them I would probably want something more later.
On general principle, I did not order anything else.
To top it off, when my bill came, I first gave the waiter 20K colones but then decided that since they offered a more favorable exchange rate than my ATM, I would pay by MasterCard. It took the waiter all of about 25 seconds to say "No hay comunicacion" regarding the credit transaction. I thought that was a pretty low-rent move.
I may have caught this place on a bad day but it was neither too empty or too full (three other parties during my stay, no more than two others at once) so I kind of doubt it. In total, it has some things going for it but I think it is overpriced and lacking in service.
Last edited by WiltTheStilt on Wed Dec 10, 2008 8:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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