Fancy Sushi & Grill — Restaurant in Palm Coast

This is a place to get good sushi. It's a place that's kind of what you expect - a typical neighborhood sushi place (Its self-promoting name would give that away). But, it does have a couple of subtle things that, I would say, differentiate them from the mediocre rest.

We were greeted by a friendly server upon entering and quickly seated. Soon after, our orders were taken.

Everything we ordered was good and I would recommend them. We got the chirashi (various sashimi served over rice), a lobster roll, a rainbow roll and a scallop stir-fry. Also, a Sapporo beer and a shirley temple.

Chirashi is traditionally and invariably served in a bowl, sometimes resulting in a cluttered, crowded presentation. Chirashi at Fancy Sushi is very nicely (perhaps even expertly) plated with the various sashimi displayed on beds of shredded radish. The tamago (egg), ebi (shirmp) and kani (crab) laid separately on a cushion of rice. I was skeptical at first, but it worked! No more cluttered sashimi!

Usually, the soup one gets with an entree is nothing special: a clear-to-cloudy bowl of broth with some small cubes of tofu, perhaps a couple mushrooms. The soup here looked similar, but with some tenkasu (tempura flakes) floating on top. I wasn't expecting much from the soup, but I found it to have a deep, comforting umami flavor. I may have involuntarily smiled. The tenkasu gave it a nice texture.

For a neighborhood sushi place, I was pleased to find that one can order alcohol here, with a variety of wines, sake and beer on hand. Sapporo isn't on the menu, but I noted a couple of crates of it stacked in a corner. When I ordered one, they asked if I'd like the small or large bottle. Of course, I opted for the larger 22oz size. My little daughter ordered a Shirley Temple which came with a toothpick of a couple of maraschino cherries, a cute touch.

The other things we ordered were nice and typical of a local sushi place.

There is ample space here, tables as well as a cushioned area. The bar is somewhat garishly lighted. We were well attended to and the servers were nice.

So, is this place deserving of it's self-appointed moniker? Well, I'm an out-of-towner, but if I lived in Palm Coast, I'd probably be a regular. When you're in town, do drop by for "fancy"...

UPDATE:

I changed the rating because my recent experience was not good. Not only was it pricey but the food quality has changed. I orderd both cooked and raw sushi with smoked salmon,they tried to pass off what tasted and looked like CANNED salmon as smoked salmon, also my order was not right. When I went back they told me the sushi roll I ordered (avocado on top, they put it inside and I did not get the roe either) was not made the way they had it on the menu anymore. I questioned why it was even on the menu, they stated they needed to change it, "thanks for pointing it out". They were determined that what they gave me was smoked salmon, they said something about their vendor told them it was smoked salmon, then tried to tell me that the taste would be different because it was cooked. Maybe for the cooked roll, but not the raw one. They offered to remake it, but when I asked to taste a little of the smoked salmon since they proclaimed that is what I was getting they refused. I had a $75 order, half of it wrong...I ended up getting my money back. Wasn't worth it to debate, plus as an itmidation tactic a large man came up to the counter as I conversed with the cashier / employee as soon as I walked in. Of course I wasn't going to get out of character because I had eaten there before with no problem and told them so, I just wanted to give them a chance to make it right. Kawa Sushi is better.

PREVIOUS REVIEW:

I'm new to the area and this has been my go to sushi spot because so far I have never been disappointed. I Want to explore other options but keep ending up at Fancy Sushi 🍣! Only thing I can say however is that it can get a bit pricey which is why I gave it 4 ⭐ instead of 5⭐ The take out menu has not been updated, they do not voluntarily give you one so when I asked for one they told me the prices were not updated. Watch what rolls you get, etc. Can never seem to get under $50 for me and my mom and I have even gotten to $50...

Updated Review:

We came here tonight on a whim to give them another try. WOW!!! What a difference! Every single thing that went wrong last time was different. The service was friendly, food came out fast even though it was moderately busy being the day after Christmas, and taste was on point.

The clear soup was the best I've EVER had - rich in flavor and fresh. My husband had hibachi which was very good and my 3 sushi rolls were great in both taste and presentation.

A little pricey for what you get, BUT the quality is back to what I expect so that makes it worth it. I hope they keep this up - whatever changes they've made have made the difference 😊

Awesome job Fancy!! Can't wait to come back again!

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Original Review:

Service 5/10 Food Quality 5/10 Value 3/10

Clear soup was beyond bland. It's missing that rich, almost smokey flavor that used to be part of the reason I loved this place so much.

Chicken hibachi was very salty and chicken was hard on the edges (overcooked). Vegetables and rice were good. The brown sauce on the hibachi was almost gel-like. Way too thick and tastes salty and cheap.

Prices have increased dramatically and quality has vastly decreased. In addition, the holiday roll used to be complimentary. Now it's not and that dinky little "krabmeat" thing is $7.25!!! I ordered it and could not believe it was so tiny for that cost. A total rip off.

Service was OK. Nothing to write home about good or bad.

Not sure where the Fancy Sushi from a couple years ago went, but this isn't it. It's like they honestly don't care anymore and that's unfortunate.

For reference, we went here on a Saturday at 12:30pm and were the ONLY customers eating for most of our meal. 1 more table was sat while we were there. When we used to be regulars a couple years ago, this place would've been packed with a line waiting. It was shocking...