Having a passion for food and writing can surely make for a fun past time of reviewing restaurants where ever I dare to consume a meal. Sometimes it's a real joy, and other times it is down right scary! But whether I end up eating the good, the bad or the ugly, you can read all about it right here!

This review is for California Garden Sushi in Rancho Cucamonga.

California Garden Sushi
8270 Foothill Blvd
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
909 985-0020

California Garden Sushi has some great potential to be a local hot spot. With a seating capacity around 50, including up to 15 seats at the sushi bar. Interior decor is sparse and clean with lots of beautiful wooden accents, however the inside and outside, including the parking area are run down. Colors are green, red gray, black and various shades of wood. Beautifully lit by natural daylight and soft lighting throughout.

This restaurant even features a side deck area with two outdoor dining areas, unfortunately they are extremely run down and would not be a pleasure to sit at without at least the umbrellas.

So cracks and chair gouged walls aside, lets talk sushi or in this case sashimi.

 I chose to try a Saturday lunch and as is often typical of my sushi dining experiences I was the only patron in the place. I was promptly seated and given a menu.

 Place settings were moderately appointed a black runner was laid across each table, black linen napkins added a feel of upscale quality to the dining experience.

My server had exhibited flawless timing throughout my meal. She was attentive from topping off my drink, up to and including serving me a complimentary strawberry mochi for dessert. She was there as needed and never for a moment did I feel unappreciated as a guest in this establishment.

After some careful deliberation I decided to venture after a sashimi plate called the Ranch Garden Sashimi plate. It was number 115 on the menu and was pictured served on a small wooden boat with a few fans of sliced cucumber and some other veggies. As you can see in the picture below mine was served on a plate with only the sashimi on a bed of shredded daikon (a large white radish).  The price tag on this 19 piece sashimi plate was $24.99. With tax, tip and drink I paid $33 total.

As you can see this plate features ahi tuna, albacore, salmon and mackerel. Let me tell you, the texture, temperature, firmness, and freshness was all there. The stars of this plate were the red ahi tuna and the pink/orange salmon. The tuna was remarkably tastey, fresh, and the perfect thickness to really enjoy. The salmon was amazing, as you could actually taste the buttery notes of omega 3's as it literally melts in your

If one thing really stood out in my meal it has to be that strawberry mochi. It is true what they say, the best things in life are free, and that goes double for a complimentary ice cream dessert. If you have never had mochi ice cream before, let me assure you that California Garden Sushi is the place to have your first one!

My mochi eating experience:
Roughly a third the size of a tennis ball, the mochi was cut into quarters with a perfectly placed spoon of whipped cream in the center and 2 toothpicks pressed into two opposing pieces.

Texture is everything with this treat. The outer shell was about an 1/8" thick of pink strawberry flavored rice paste. Upon placing it in my mouth the first thing I noticed was the peach fuzz, flesh like texture and warmth of the outer mochi shell against my tongue. As I pressed it up against my palate the strawberry ice cream released its frosty, berry flavored goodness with the perfect compliment of sweetness from the whip cream. As the ice cream melted away I was left with the rice paste outer shell which felt very much like a velvety piece of flesh that with some effort could be broken without the need for chewing.

All in all it was quite an enjoyable experience and I would highly recommend you give this restaurant a try. It would be a great little place to take a date, or a few friends. The menu is on the expensive side for my personal tastes, but pretty fair for the quality. I would likely eat here again.

Ciao,

FC4J

Suggestions for the owner.

It could go a long way to take the time to patch and repaint the damaged walls. Add a chair rail allowing you to split up the walls and put a more complex design into the lower portions making it easer to cover up dirty walls. As for the upper halves, it would be a strong recommendation to add some sort of wall decor, be it pictures, or some similar related sushi themes. Atmosphere will do wonders for your patrons' eating experiences.

Although it is not likely readily noticed by your average consumer, it may be best to consider the use of table clothes to disguise the contrasting wood finishes between the tables and the chairs.

You are wasting your outdoor dining area! With a small investment you could easily convert that battered patio into a romantically lit, couples dining area.

It would also be a strong upgrade to affix brass plates to the sushi bar chairs to replace the unappealing, peeling number stickers.  Small details could go a long way to bring this restaurant up to par with the high quality cuisine featured here.

You have a huge potential for your parking area, but it needs a major overhaul. Re-paving, re-painting, and some lighting improvements to say the least.

Finally, some niche marketing would go a long way to getting noticed among the many sushi restaurants found along Foothill Blvd.