Following our weekly Thursday afternoon social get-together at a local winery, six of us stopped in to Sushi Love Boat for dinner. Located in the Ralphs/CVS shopping center at the corner of Butterfield Stage and Temecula Parkway, Sushi Love Boat is in a great location with lots of parking and just minutes from wineries!

We were greeted warmly and seated right away - they weren't very busy at that point. After ordering drinks and a bunch of sushi rolls to share, we were pleasantly surprised to have our server bring out complimentary hand rolls while we waited. They were delicious and whet our appetite for what was to come! Our server was wonderful and food came out as it was ready. Presentation was beautiful and most importantly, everything was so incredibly fresh and so flavorful! It's hard for me to pick a favorite, but if pushed, it might be the golden tiger roll.

So while service and food were excellent, the only thing that could be improved here was the décor which could use some refreshing. As someone who loves color and the psychology of color, I felt there was too much red everywhere - red paint on all the walls, as well as the seats. There's a reason that many fast food restaurants incorporate red in their décor and branding. Aside from being eye-catching, the color red increases pulse, heart rate and appetite...but it also makes you want to eat quickly and leave which is useful for turning over tables in fast food restaurants (think McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, In-N-Out). Sushi is such a wonderful meal to share with a group of friends and a place with food as great as Sushi Love Boat calls for an atmosphere that says, "sit, relax and enjoy!"

We're so happy to have found such a great sushi place so close to our home, and plan to be back again very soon!