RESTAURANT REVIEW:

To be honest, had a friend not recommended this restaurant I probably would not have gone inside.

I couldn’t get past the name. I don’t know why, but I thought it was kind of gimmicky, and I assumed the food wouldn’t be that good.

Usually a place that uses a gimmick is disappointing. It’s much like comics who use props.

So my expectations were fairly low when I went in to dine recently, and I thought I would make the staff work a little bit harder than usual.

My confusion about the menu was intentional. I wanted them to tell me what I should order.

I pretended I had no experience with Japanese cuisine and told them I had had sushi only twice.

Well, that was kind of true. I had it twice that week.

The waiter was very patient and pointed out a couple of items he thought I would like. One was the curry calamari balls. They are calamari and fish rolled into balls the size of large marbles. Brown curry sauce is put on top, with bits of peanuts as a garnish.

The appetizer was very good, the curry not overpowering, and the texture of the seafood matched the sauce.

The next item I ordered was the Fujiyama. It consists of crabmeat, albacore, smelt egg and spicy mayo that is baked and topped with a slice of avocado. The appetizer is pricey — $7.95 for two — but bigger than it appears. It took three bites to eat each piece and required a certain amount of dexterity. The dish can fall apart, but the crabmeat is so sweet you don’t even care. The albacore is a bit tough going through the baking process but doesn’t take away from the overall taste.

My waiter was nice enough to bring me a salad, which had a nice ginger-soy dressing. The dressing was not as bitter as the usual topping found on salads at Japanese restaurants. He also brought a cup of the traditional miso soup. Again it wasn’t asked for, just a nice touch on his part.

I decided to try the crunch roll, and it was probably a mistake. The dish was prepared sloppily, with the flakes not sticking to the rice. That wasn’t that big of a deal, but the rice was not rolled tightly and kept falling apart when I tried to pick it up.

The restaurant has a good lineup of nigiri and I picked out yellowtail. It was two pieces for $3.95, and the cut of fish was large and fresh.

The last item I ordered was the fried oysters. I wasn’t sure whether these were going to be any good, but they had potential. The breading is spicy, though it can be ordered mild, and very tangy, but not overpowering. The oyster has a texture that isn’t conducive to frying, but overall it was pretty good.

While the restaurant has sushi as the main theme, there are several Japanese dishes other than the fish that are quite interesting.

For lunch there are several specials, including an $8.95 combination lunch that has several items.

Some of the other lunch dishes are shrimp and vegetable tempura, deep fried chicken and pork chips.

The dinner menu is obviously more extensive, and some of the dishes that looked intriguing were the Mizutaki, which is mixed vegetables, fresh tofu and clear noodles simmered in a broth with meat or seafood added.

The seafood selections, which included sea bass and salmon, are also worthy considerations.

If you can get over the name, which I did fairly quickly, the restaurant is a great place to expand your horizons when it comes to sushi and Japanese food.

Address: 2340 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa

Phone: (714) 540-6195

Cuisine: Japanese

Specialty dish: fresh fish daily

Alcohol served: Beer, wine and sake

Dress: Casual

Family friendly: Yes

Credit cards accepted: MasterCard, Visa, American Express

Rating: 2.5 stars

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.