WASABI BISTRO — Restaurant in Grand Island

Winner, winner, sushi dinner. Who wudda thunk? A great sushi experience in the heart of Nebraska. This is my second sushi surprise this summer in the Midwest. First, Ichiban in Dubuque Iowa. Now Wasabi in Grand Island Nebraska. What is the world coming to?

We landed at Wasabi on a road trip West staying the night in Grand Island. Wasabi offers Japanese Chinese fusion fare in a wonderfully fung shue Asian atmosphere. We chose to eat a selection of small appetizer plates from the Sushi bar and Japanese side of the kitchen. Overall awesome! If the Chinese offerings are in the scale of our Japanese fare, this place is a hidden Asian treasure.

Our starter of salt and pepper calamari was perfect. We were told the calamari rings are fresh and cut in house. The tempura batter is also proprietary to the house, and one of the best I've had in recent memory. Light, crispy, well attached, and perfectly seasoned and cooked to a golden glow.

My wife had a Sashimi Salad which was a delicately dressed assembly of lettuce, tako, maguro, sake (salmon), and kani (surimi crab). She loved it.

For me, Sushi in Nebraska? Hmmm? Ever adventurous, I ordered the appetizer sampler. It was perfect in every possible way. Fresh, portion, rice, and a very simple presentation. Right out of a no frills Tokyo bistro. A respectful bow to the chef. This plate led me to ordering an ala carte plating of tako, surf clam, and unagi. Equally delightful.

We obviously loved our food, but it was the table service that made the whole evening memorable. Xena, our server was a true professional and made two passing strangers feel like we were at home with family. I'd hire this talented and gracious young lady instantly.

All great dining experiences often have one detraction and Wasabi did have theirs by our tastes. Gyoza. We always try the gyoza at any new Japanese restaurant we visit. And my own are rave favorites among our friends. These were home made, cooked perfectly, but just didn't work for us. I anticipate a gyoza being a light skin containing a pork, Napa cabbage, and possibly shrimp mix. These were more like a large all-beef meatball in a pasta shell. They are great for what they were, and I am so sorry to criticize an otherwise AWESOME kitchen and sushi bar, but the gyoza just didn't work for us.

Don't judge Wasabi on the one item we didn't care for. This place is a winner hands down. Yes, sushi and Japanese fare is being well represented in the heart of Nebraska. If I'm ever overnight in Grand Island again, I'm headed here.

Thank you for a really delightful dining experience.

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I will start by saying that we have been loyal customers for many, many years (since moving here 10+ years ago.) Yet tonight, was my (heart) breaking point. We have stood by you for so long. Through labor and product shortages, the big C, and much more. We knew that tonight would be busy. Wait times are high, takeout times are extended, and the kitchen is overworked. Yet, since we love your food, we decided to save you the stress of in-house service and opted for Togo. You didn’t scare us with the “80 minute pickup time.” We waited. But to come in for our takeout, to be greeted with the displeasure of the staff was beyond unfair. You had ran out of hot and sour soup (which is completely fine mind you) to be told it was partially replaced with egg drop, is one thing. Instead, we were informed that we’d pay full price, for the $3.29 or so soup. I do not like egg drop soup therefore I would never eat it. $3.29 is by far not the issue. Your Togo staff, thou starting with S and ending with a yawn, shall not be named, was very unpleasant. He was visibly upset that I wasn’t ok with exchange and presented my objection to you, the owner/manager. You proceeded to remove both partial soup containers in a distraught manner with a clear stink eye at my husband. S-yawn.. then brought my order up to the counter, slamming it down and proceeded to aggressively process my payment. You are, and probably always will be, the best sushi place in GI, but this by no means gives you the right to be so terrible with customer service. Granted, I only spend a few(ish+) hundred dollars at your prestige establishment a year, I will not give you a single dime again. I have worked in the food service industry for many many many years and hope that you can see the errors of your ways,...

I have dined here twice, and I have to say the quality of the dishes are spot on. The customer service of the wait staff and Bartender is very good. The prices are amazing for what they put out.

But where they failed was in the demeanor of the Host/Manager. Restaurants in the USA differ from other businesses, in the fact that the hours that you post, are the Hours that dinners can still come into eat. You don't try to get the guest to NOT COME IN, just because it's 9:12 and you close at 9:30. The closing time does not mean all your guest have to leave. In my 36 years as a Chef, Manager, Owner of an eating establishment, I have seen scores of Restaurants FAIL because a Supervisor or Assistant Mgr wants to go home. Trends like this can happen, and then your Restaurant gets a reputation for closing early or not taking in late diners. Then what happens is a group of people who are out, want to go eat, say Sushi after 9pm. Their might be 4 of them, their might be 20. But because your establishment has a bad reputation for not taking in late dinners, they decide to go somewhere else, and you will never know about the business you almost had. I have seen this over, and over, and over again, and I have been a part of those groups that think of your establishment, then look at the time and go somewhere else.

If you want everyone off the premises by 10pm, you need to then list 9pm as your closing time.

It's hard enough making it with a restaurant, there is no reason to shoot yourself in the foot doing it. You never know who your guests maybe, or who they may recommend or not recommend...