No. 1 Sushi — Restaurant in Chadds Ford Township

When I first moved to the area and shopped at the Brandywine Giant, I happened to see this place briefly before going up US 202 further to Target. I checked it out and was intrigued that this place, that proudly calls itself "No. 1 Sushi" has a AYCE option on its menu. Having just moved I waited till I settled in a bit before finally giving this restaurant a try. This restaurant is very clean, sleek and has enough thematic elements for a Japanese restaurant. I also very much like the service ware used with one small critique that the sauce dish for the soy sauce is a little small. Before I go on, No. 1 does have a separate menu if you don't want to eat AYCE but my review will focus on the AYCE menu. First, for drinks, they have a decent selection of soft drinks, beers, wine and sake. If you're not too interested in experience a place for its brews, this should work. The only puzzling choice is that the hot tea they serve is actually barley tea and not green tea/matcha. I am not bothered by it as I very much enjoy barley tea and for the most part the tea was nice and hot. Service was good, but not spectacular. Then again, I was dining around 1 PM so the restaurant was pretty empty when I got there. Now on to the food. They offer a good selection of items on both their sushi menu and their kitchen items on their AYCE menu. Maybe not the most exotic choices but I was pleased by the selection of nigiri, maki/hand rolls and specialty rolls and kitchen items. I started with a bowl of miso soup and kani salad. The miso soup is on par for most miso soups I had but the kani salad was very interesting and has that nice bit of heat from the spicy mayo in the salad. I then had my usual for maki rolls - spicy tuna roll and a Philadelphia roll. The spicy tuna had lots of the tuna in there but was not the spiciest roll I've had, but it was pretty good. The Philadelphia roll was also very tasty and one of my favorite Philly rolls I've had (not at the top, but very good). With that first round I had two pieces of striped bass, tuna and salmon all of them where pretty good. Then I tried some of their hibachi steak, which is served on a small side dish. This is likely due to the AYCE nature of the offerings I partook in this afternoon. Doesn't downplay the quality of the steak as it was nice and tender and the sauce was pretty savory and tasty. After that I had my second round of sushi; two pieces of red clam and (if I recall) red snapper plus an Angry Dragon roll. The clam was definitely interesting and the snapper was pretty good, too. The Angry Dragon...is probably one of the best Angry Dragon rolls I've had. Just the right amount of punch and fish and all around tastiness. Oh, did I mention that the fish on the nigiri actually stays on the rice and doesn't fall off when you dip it fish side down? Yes, the fish stays as it should...that's usually a pet peeve of mine regarding nigiri. This is a plus in my book. Currently, the AYCE dinner on the weekend is $36 and the tea is $2 (the cheapest drink option other than water). Considering how much you would pay otherwise on the normal menu, this is a pretty good deal. I might check out their regular menu sometime but for me sushi is a treat so I might be sticking to that AYCE menu. But if you'd like a good place for sushi in the Brandywine area, I would definitely recommend...

This place has been on my radar to try for a while and we finally decided to check it out. First off, the sushi here is incredible. Super fresh and colorful with amazing presentations. We tried the all-you-can-eat deal and some options off the regular menu too. For AYCE sushi, this was the best I've had in the area. AYCE isn't limited to sushi and there's a bunch of dishes you can try as well. For us, service was great. We went on a slow day for lunch and the entire experience was fantastic. I see there's some negative reviews about service, but that wasn't the case for us.

Here's what we had:

Crispy Calamari: 5/5 Hot, perfectly crispy, flavorful, large portion. Would definitely order again.

Crab Rangoon: 4/5 Creamy and indulgent with the perfect crunch. For my taste, they were a bit on the sweet side but I'm sure others would love that.

Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura: 5/5 Light, crispy batter with fresh ingredients. Cool presentation.

Tuna Tartare Tower: 10/5 (yes, it's that good) This was hands-down the highlight of the night. Layers of fresh tuna, creamy avocado, and three types of tobiko. It's a visual masterpiece and a flavor bomb in every bite.

Godzilla Roll, Norwegian Salmon Sashimi, & Yellowtail Jalapeño Sashimi: 5/5 Fresh, vibrant, spicy, and expertly prepared. The yellowtail had just the right kick of heat from the jalapeño, and the Godzilla Roll is simply addictive. The wild-caught salmon from Norway exceeded expectations.

Sweetheart Roll: 5/5 Yes, it's a tuna avocado roll shaped like hearts. Perfect for sharing especially if you're here for a date night.

Hibachi Combo (Maine Lobster Tail, Shrimp, and Scallops): 5/5 Huge Maine lobster tail. The seafood was cooked to perfection. Worth the price!

Banana & Oreo Tempura: 5/5 I enjoyed fried Oreos more than I thought I would!

Pro Tip: Try the all-you-can-eat menu. It's one of the best deals around for the quality of the sashimi, specialty rolls, and kitchen dishes that you can get.

Update: We've gone back a few times and it's still fantastic. Basically addicted to the Godzilla Roll. We also started picking up sushi for takeout and it's THE BEST around. We get the lunch specials and they're much bigger portions than what you get some of the other local sushi places for the same price. Plus you get soup...

We went on a Saturday for a late lunch around 2-3PM for a party of 2. It wasn’t very busy and we were seated immediately. They have an All You Can Eat (AYCE) menu and they also have non-AYCE as well. We did the AYCE and were given 2 paper menus to fill out for ordering. The prices per person for AYCE are different for weekdays vs. weekends.

The AYCE menu is a little small compared to other places, but the food is good! We ordered a variety of things.

The miso soup was good but I thought it came with too much seaweed. Kani and seaweed salads were fine and a good portion to split amongst 2 people. We ordered takoyaki, which came with 3 takoyaki balls. They were a little harder on the outside than anticipated, but the inside was just as expected! The teriyaki is served with just the meat, whereas the hibachi section is a stir-fried version with onions, broccoli, and carrots. If you want tamago, it’s called Egg Custard under the sushi section.

Service was quick and food was served in a timely manner. We did not get a drink menu, so you’ll have to ask about what drinks they have available. I believe there is a selection of soda and tea. At the end when paying, they come over with an iPad if you’re paying with card. The waitress looked away while I was signing and putting in the tip, so it is a little burdensome and you’re put on the spot.

Overall, a nice place to check out for AYCE. Service was quick, there’s plenty of parking, and food was good! I definitely recommend getting a soup, trying out their beef steak teriyaki, and eating your fill of sushi! If you like sushi with raw fish, you’ll probably enjoy this place. Most, if not all, of their specialty sushi rolls...