AJI Sushi & Grill — Restaurant in Issaquah

My wife and I came here after a doctors appointment approximately around 1:45pm on Thursday 11/12/20. We pulled up to the restaurant noticing that the King County Health Department rating scored "Good" on the front of the entrance, which seemed a tiny bit alarming because "Good" usually means theres some sort of cleanliness issues. However, as we were stepping foot inside the restaurant we noticed the restaurant visually was quite clean. Within seconds of entering, the owner (I'm assuming) greeted us and made us feel very welcomed. The whole ambience of the restaurant was very nice, very warm, the calm sound of jazz music playing in the backround, again, a very great ambiance overall.

Both my wife and I were extremely hungry so we ordered several items off the menu. We weren't aware that the portions were gigantic, which was crazy for a sushi restaurant to serve such large portions however, I will honestly say we did get our money's worth!! Lol! Before our food arrived they served us Miso Soup and warm hand towels to clean our hands with, which was amazing by the way!

So, eventually our sushi came and it didnt take long at all, you can tell their kitchen staff is highly trained and they make it pretty quick which was great considering how hungry the both of us were. So during the course of us demolishing our 3 plates, It dawned on me that I had ordered a dish of katsu chicken prior to all of the sushi. Being overwhelmed with the amount of food given I knew deep down I wasnt going to be able to even touch my katsu chicken plate lol.

Being almost done with our 3 orders of sushi the owner brings me teriyaki chicken, which unfortunately I did not order. I reminded her politely that I had actually ordered Katsu Chicken and it almost seemed like she didnt believe me for a second, but she was very kind and apologized for the inconvenience. So at this point both of our stomachs are completely full due to the large servings of sushi, which were ALL delicious by the way! The owner eventually brought the katsu chicken, and I only took about one or two bites, so I asked for a to go box and she brought it over.

After bringing my box for the katsu chicken, she brought us our check and the total was about $65 which honestly wasnt bad for all of that food considering the portions sizes. So after the owner brought us our check I put my card down on the tray next to the receipt, thinking she would come right back and grab it so that we could pay for our food and head on out. About 10 minutes went by and finally I noticed what the hold up was, I saw that the kitchen staff were preparing their lunch for break time. Which to me, is perfectly fine any other time but in this case you're leave customers hanging. Both my wife and I tried to remain as patient as possible, but we waited about 10 minutes if not longer just to have our debit card ran. Without apologizing for the inconvenience of waiting, she finally grabs our check and runs our card.

That was probably the only downside to our experience, I think it would be more conducive to just shut down the restaurant for an hour or so for the kitchen staff's lunch break. You cant just put a halt to your customers while trying to attend to your employees simultaneously. The right thing to do is wait until your customers are all taken care of, and then tend to your staff. Just my opinion.

Other than that, the food was absolutely amazing! The portions are huge! I just think they need to prioritize their customers a tiny bit more. If you are a big fan of sushi, you really need to try...

My husband and I have been coming to this restaurant for quite some time, and it has always been one of our favorite places. The customer service has consistently been fantastic, and we’ve often chosen this restaurant over other high-end establishments simply because of the warm, attentive service and relaxing environment. After a long and demanding workday, we would frequently come here—sometimes weekly—just to unwind and enjoy a quiet meal together.

We’ve recommended this restaurant to many of our colleagues and friends, and have even brought several guests from out of town to dine here. We’ve always held this place in high regard and have proudly referred it as a better experience than many high-end restaurants due to the exceptional service.

However, we were disappointed by our most recent visit. For the first time, we decided to call ahead and reserve a specific table—a quiet corner booth that allows us to have a more private dining experience. We were delayed by traffic and knew we would arrive about 15 minutes late. Out of respect, we called 10 minutes before our scheduled reservation time to inform the staff, and they acknowledged that our table would still be held.

When we arrived, one of the wonderful staff members—who we truly appreciate—let us know that although the table was still unoccupied, the owner had decided to give it to another customer and seat us elsewhere. While we didn’t have to wait too long to be seated, it was disappointing that our specific request was not honored, especially after we took the time to communicate our delay and have been loyal customers for so long.

We deeply value loyalty and kindness, and we continue to support businesses that reflect those values. While we still think highly of this restaurant and its team, this recent experience did not reflect the level of care and consistency we’ve come to appreciate. We hope this feedback will be taken constructively and that future reservations—especially for long-time patrons—will be handled with more...

We have been going to Aji Sushi for years and have always been completely enamored with the fare they have.

Unfortunately they appear to have been hit with the pandemic malaise that is affecting everything. Our last take out order was completely inedible.

The Negihama roll had cuts of fish we would not serve our cats. We did not touch it. The Salmon roll looked as if someone threw it into the container from several feet away and the fish was well past its prime.

While we tried the Aji roll, it looked as if they had one of their small children constructed it. Did not have the signature Ebi on the ends either.

But the worst and I mean the absolute worst, was the Caterpillar roll. If you know anything about sushi, you know the eel is one of the most fantastic offerings in the mix. Delicate and flaky, right? Well the eel in our Caterpillar roll was like eating a chunk of tire. Really, how did this get made??? Who thought "I can serve this to a fellow human being"??????????????

I am not sure how anything so disgusting got created at this place but very sad to see they have fallen so badly.

I got hooked on Sushi when I was in the service stationed in Japan. It took me years to find a place I felt comfortable going to in the states. Not sure I will ever feel comfortable going back.

So, so, so...