Cheap Eats: Sushi Mac

If any of you have tasted wasabi at a Japanese restaurant, then you know how its piquant flavor is daring to your taste buds. The only reason I ever tasted it was because someone had tricked me into saying that it was made out of avocado thus having its familiar green color, and being an avocado lover I regrettably dug right in and plunged right out into eight glasses of water. So this week, I wanted to give Japanese food another shot, minus the spicy green nemesis, which turned out successful as I inhaled more than thirty pieces of sushi at the one and only Sushi Mac. This hole-in-the-wall restaurant was first mentioned to me by a couple of friends who define Mac as their "after school delight" and I felt the need to go there to see what all the hype was about. As an east coast native, I have never heard or tasted of fast food sushi until I came upon the Mac. Perhaps this is due to the Los Angeles neighboring commerce, where restaurants aim to serve businessmen and women who just need a quick bite before getting back to work. When I first walked into Mac, a surge of air blasted in my face and I was taken aback by the bar-set restaurant. Personally, this is the most charming part about Sushi Mac because there are no secluded tables, so customers are compelled to strike up peculiar conversations with the strangers next to them while enjoying their delicious meal. Ali Finn, a fellow sushi lover sitting next to me recommended the California and spicy tuna roll claiming, "It's the most addictive sushi out there because once you order more you can't stop."

As I ordered Finn's recommendations, I realized that each roll is only $3.75. This included six tasty pieces of sushi, whereas, at any other Japanese restaurant a sushi roll would normally cost eight dollars or more. I was still dumbfounded and amazed as the waitress took my order and two minutes later I received it. There was so much sushi in front of me that I knew using chopsticks would only set me back, so I used my hands instead to swallow it whole and to not miss a bite of flavor.

The overall process of getting my food and eating it took about five minutes and I knew that if I ever wanted to grab a quick bite somewhere, Sushi Mac literally supplied and satisfied. Their menu also ranged from tempura plates, edamame beans, and their home-run dynamite mac roll. Not only do you end up eating as much as three course meal, but pay as if you only ordered a beverage. Overall, Mac provides a warm family atmosphere where you can feel at home and stuff your face as much as you want, or at least I did.

Truthfully, Sushi Mac does not provide the healthiest fish since some of it processed, but that doesn't have any effect on the texture of the moist rice or the fresh vegetables which both offer beneficial nutrition to our bodies. As I took my first bite of their Mac-tastic California roll, I couldn't tell the difference between their fast food sushi and the rolls served any other overly priced Japanese restaurant.

So, if you're health conscious then maybe Mac isn't the place for you but if you're like me and looking for an inexpensive and delicious sushi place to hit that hunger spot, then Mac doesn't disappoint. If you're ever near the Beverly Center on W. Third Street then check out Sushi Mac and let me know what you and your taste buds think and if you're unsatisfied, then I'll grab the check.