Star Sushi & Bar — Restaurant in Seattle

I won’t be returning.

Although the place was almost empty, it was some time before we were approached for starters and drinks, however multiple members of the staff had time to stop and chat with the table next to us, apparently the guy was a friend of the owner or something like that. I think at least 10 members of the staff took time away from others to talk to him.

Finally our order of drinks and appetizers was taken, “while we decide on what we want for sushi”. Oysters, cucumber salad with shrimp, a mixed drink and a Japanese beer.

They got the beer wrong, bringing an IPA or something like that, then when I pointed it out had to check the order sheet to confirm I had actually ordered a Japanese beer, even tho it had only taken place about 20 minutes before.

Oh yeah. They never returned. I had to go stand at the door like a new customer before someone noticed me, and said they would be back in a moment. Meanwhile a million people are walking around in black gloves putting water on tables that already have water. Maybe train some of them to take orders.

After being told that the server would return, another black-gloved person asked if we wanted dessert before we were ready to leave. I said we hadn’t even been able to order yet. That finally got their attention.

Anyway, the appetizers. The fried oysters were delicious. Except they only really give you enough sauce for one, and there are five of them. The cucumber salad with shrimp contained two flat, sad shrimp. The same they used for the flat, sad sushi. They might have shown the creativity and vision to prepare them in a different way rather than just dump a couple of thin, anemic-looking shrimp on top.

So they finally bring the sushi. Some of it might have been pretty good if they used the right kind of rice, but it wasn’t sushi rice, it wouldn’t even stick together. So everything was falling apart. Rolls wouldn’t stay rolled, nigiri wouldn’t stay composed. It would fall apart on the way to your mouth. Terrible. It was ridiculous.

The octopus was rubbery, and this is one of my tests of a sushi place, the quality of the octopus.

Eel was good but it’s hard to mess that up.

Everything was drastically overpriced as well. For what I paid (for two) I could have eaten three quality sushi dinners for two, elsewhere.

And actually gotten service.

I won’t...

The food was delicious, especially the Lemon Drop cocktail, which was fantastic. The atmosphere was also great, and the music selection was a nice mix of familiar favorites and some interesting tracks I hadn't heard before. Overall, it was a very enjoyable outing.

However, I wanted to offer some constructive feedback regarding the menu. While the food itself is excellent, the lack of clear labeling, particularly for fish and seafood dishes, makes it difficult to know exactly what you're ordering, especially when sitting at the bar. I found myself having to guess or ask questions, which felt a little like I might be taking up staff's time. I think adding some images or even a rotating video showcasing the various food options (perhaps playing on the TVs around the establishment) would be a huge improvement in helping customers understand the choices available.

On a more serious note, I did observe a food safety concern during my visit. I saw an employee handling food with bare hands, eating it themselves, and then preparing food for a customer without washing their hands in between. I also saw them sharing food from a plate that was about to be served to a customer. While I understand that new staff might be learning the ropes (it seemed like there were several new employees, perhaps some only a few weeks in), these practices are concerning and do not meet proper health code standards. I hope this is addressed promptly, as it's a critical issue for customer safety.

Despite these points, I genuinely liked the potential of this restaurant. The food and atmosphere were truly excellent. I believe if they can refine the menu clarity and address the food safety concerns, this place could easily become a 5-star establishment. I look forward to giving it another try in the future and seeing how things...

This restaurant is undefeated. Let me start this review by saying that I am a big foodie myself. I always looking for restaurants to become my new favorite but Start Fusion has really outdid themselves and has stayed in my #1 spot since July of 2020. The menu is superb when it comes to food choices, anyone can find something they love on there. The food is always fresh and the food palette is something I have never really tasted anywhere else. It is rare that a restaurant has their own unique style, taste, presentation. Usually the taste and the combinations of food stays relatively similar across their respective category (e.g Mediterranean, Burger joints, Chinese) but Star Fusion has an impressive combination of dishes that I haven’t seen served or replicated anywhere else. With that being said, In my opinion, the service of any restaurant is just as important as how tasty the food is and they deliver on both fronts. I would highly recommend this place if you are looking for your next favorite restaurant… This might be it. Top notch drinks. Top notch food. Top...