RESTAURANT REVIEWS

Finding a great sushi restaurant the fits your individual taste and budget is a gamble at best.  In order to assist you in selecting a Japanese/Sushi restaurant that caters to your preferences, www.Houston-Sushi.com visits and surveys one Japanese restaurant per month.  Using our website, we post a detailed non-biased review of the entire meal.  This provides you, the reader, with an objective appraisal of the entire meal without spending the money or deal with the disappointment of a less-than-favorable experience.

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Restaurant Review for July 2007: Dozo Japanese Restaurant

Restaurant Info: 2938 West Sam Houston Parkway South  Houston, TX 77042   1-713-785-8899 

Website Info:  www.dozo-houston.com

Date/Day Visited: Sunday: July 22nd, 2007 

Items Ordered: Various Nigiri, Sushi Rolls, Salad Bar, Calamari, Iced Green Tea, Standard Iced Tea.

Description/Stage of Meal: Meal began with various nigiri and move onto a 'Spider Roll.'    Second Course: 2 trips to the salad bar.  Final Course: Fried Calamari.

The meal began with various samples of nigiri - Smoked Salmon, Regular Salmon, Yellowtail, Escolar and Red Snapper.  Each piece was well prepared and clearly fresh.  The cost was also favorable.  After consuming the salmon, we order additional servings since the flavor was exceptional.  The cost of the nigiri was also satisfactory - 1 piece of Salmon: $1.50.

The Spider Roll was also delicious.  The portion was ample and it was obvious that the roll was extremely fresh.  Given the great cost ($7.95), we merely wished that the roll was larger (or additional pieces).  If you are a serious sushi roll lover, consider ordering the Spider Roll for less than $8.00.

We passed the salad bar twice, filling our plate with various items that ranged from common salad selections to fruits and various pasteries.  Clearly the salad bar was a large portion of the public's interest in Dozo.  The kitchen staff repeatedly filled the dessert trays twice while we waited.  The sample is more than satisfactory and a great idea for a quick, inexpensive lunch.

The final phase of our meal was the fried calamari.  Upon receiving the order, we were under the impression that our server made a mistake and provided us with onion rings.  At Dozo, the fried calamari resembles slender, darker forms of onion rings.  The portion was large and the taste was quite suprising.

Our teas (Iced Green and Fresh Brewed Regular) were delicious.  From what we could observe, the Green Tea was made specifically for our table -  it did not come from a large kitchen container.  The Ice Tea was definitely fresh brewed.    

Parking/Location: Dozo is located directly off of the Sam Houston Parkway and can be easily seen from the main thoroughfare.  It is a large restaurant that provides a more than ample parking in the front and sides of the establishment.  A large sign sits near the main highway in order to help you find the restaurant with ease. 

Service Evaluation: Great.  Our server maintained our table and continually checked on our status.  Additional members of the waitstaff repeatedly filled our beverages.  The manager stopped by our table to welcome us.  While conversing, she also took the time to remove debris/empty plates from our table.  Top Notch staff.   We were greeted with a hearty 'Hello' and 'Goodbye' by the hostess as well.

Overall Decor/Atmosphere: Dozo provides a contemporary atmosphere.  The dining area is very attractive and clean.  The waitstaff wears Black/White serving attire while the kitchen is an achievable distance to avoid unnecessary noises.  The lighting and wall designs are fitting with the decor.

At the end of the meal, we identified ourselves as members of The Sushi Club of Houston, presented our business card and explained that we developed a very high opinion of the restaurant due to flavor of the nigiri and friendliness of the staff.  We also mentioned the obvious attentional to detail that every member of the restaurant clearly exhibits. 

If you find yourself driving past a sign that says, "Dozo" and you have a craving for sushi, we highly recommend that you consider it.  You will find youself pleased with the flavor and value of the entire meal as well as the decor of the restaurant.  If the mood suits you, perhaps you can enjoy a delightful lunch on the front patio.

Overall Rating (Out of a possible 5): 4.50