Mint Tapas and Sushi 2 (Cottonwood Heights) — Restaurant in Holladay

If you've read my previous sushi restaurant reviews you will see that I'm pretty picky when it comes to sushi restaurants. I love all kinds of sushi, but I think it takes a special restaurant for me to really love their sushi.

Taste & Presentation We started the night with 3 appetizers: the Jelly fish, the Salmon tataki, and the Jalapeno Hamachi. When we saw jelly fish on the menu we couldn't resist ordering it and seeing how it would taste. IT WAS AMAZING. I can see why some people may not like it, but I thought it was fantastic and had a similar flavor to that of orange chicken. It wasn't chewy like octopus or squid, but also wasn't slimy. It was a new texture that I had never tried before. If you are a texture person, you definingly should try this dish out. The salmon tataki was an amazing burst of flavors that all complimented each other so well I did not want to stop eating it. Sweet, sour, it had it all. The Jalapeno Hamachi was fantastic and I love how it was presented in the form of a rose. The yellowtail was incredibly tender and just melted in my mouth. As for rolls we ordered the Vulcan, the stargazer and the moonlight. All of them were very well balanced and delicious. The Vulcan without a doubt stole the show though. It tasted fantastic. Imagine a typical Vegas roll, but better. Don't think its possible? It is and its this role. The presentation of all the appetizers and rolls also were beautiful and the unique flavors of everything we ordered was a foodies dream.

Vibe & Service The vibe in the restaurant screams San Francisco sushi restaurant. It feels as though you are transported to the bay area and are enjoying a great night with some friends. The service was also phenomenal. I believe the lady who served us was named Inor. She was not only incredibly nice, but seemed to know exactly what we would like off the menu. Great...

My wife and I had a gift card that we wanted to use, so we decided to try this place. We didn't have a reservation on a Tuesday evening, but we were seated immediately. The staff were all incredible and friendly and helpful. They recommended dishes and answered questions. Our waitress Lily has only been working there for 4 days and was incredibly helpful and kind. For the staff and service, I'd say 5-stars.

It is tapas style, so there not wrong in their advertising. The portion sizes are VERY small, but the price and the expected flavor doesn't add up. For example, I could have 2 sushi rolls for the same price at another sushi place, and with far superior flavor profiles. Reading the descriptions, I expected the flavors to be impressive, but I was underwhelmed. We had 3 different rolls and of them, Jupiter was the best, but still not close in flavor with other sushi places. The spicy tuna tartare was not at all spicy, and it was rather eh. The Wagyu steak was one that was worthwhile. The flavor was incredible thanks to the eel sauce. They really need to adjust price or portion AND flavor. The presentation was on point.

In terms of desserts, the Ube ice cream is definitely worth it. I would go there just for the ice cream.

Between 3 rolls, wagyu steak, tuna tartare, sake, and ice cream, we exhausted about $95. They will not put the alcohol on the gift card for she reason. So...

This chain (now with 4 locations in Salt Lake) serves fresh, fresh, fresh but appears to still be searching for direction. The Hamachi appetizer was excellent, its shaved pieces rolled and presented as a rosette while sitting in a nice and slightly sweet sauce. But the sashimi platter, while also fresh, came with such large "slices" that our server had to bring us cutlery. This could have easily been presented (as most sashimi places do) as thin pieces which could easily be parted or eaten with one's chopsticks. My sushi rolls were uneventful perhaps because the nori was more chewy than expected. Not sure what type of nori is used but both of our rolls, while tasty, had a ding because of the chewy nori (the first time I've encountered this is ANY sushi place. One final bit of advice, ask for a tiny taste of their sharp and slightly bitter Italian chardonnay (the only one they offer). It is very different and perhaps to your liking, but we took one sip and sent it back. All that said, this is well worth a visit and a pleasant surprise for being a chain...prices are the standard for today's world with rolls around $14 and appetizers about the same (menu and prices are online). Three Japanese beers offered, the usual fare....