Arami Go: Satisfyingly Mediocre

I'm always excited to hear about new Japanese food in my area, even more so when the new restaurant is being opened by Arami. I've dined at Arami in West Town twice, and both times the fish has been amazingly fresh and the experience overall excellent.

Arami Go, on the other hand, isn't excellent. It's relatively mediocre, but certainly a satisfying, quick Japanese meal when you need a quick fix. I love the concept of fast-casual bento boxes, but unfortunately, for a quick meal it is relatively expensive and I can't see myself justifying the $11-$15 dollar price tag.

Menu

What I ate: Sashimi Combo Bento Box with Brussel Sprouts, Sushi Rice and Soy Sauce Edamame

This was my second venture to Arami- the first time I had a similar bento with their spicy salmon (which doesn't seem to be on the menu any more). This time I got the Sashimi Combo (with a $4 upcharge) and was pleasantly surprised that the fish was mouthwateringly fresh. The yellowtail was buttery, tuna meaty, and the salmon was one of the best examples of raw salmon I've had in recent memory. 

Unfortunately, the rest of the box was downhill from there. The brussel sprouts were covered in bonito flakes that I thought ruined the texture of the vegetable portion with their sogginess. The edamame were inexplicably covered in a strange bastardized version of soy sauce that did not improve upon normal soy sauce. The sushi rice was fine, nothing special or notable.

Service was friendly and quick, but for a 'fast' meal it is not going to be as speedy of an in-and-out process as other options.

Overall, I recommend giving Arami Go a try, but don't go in expecting it to blow your mind. But for decent, fast-casual Japanese fare downtown, its a nice new option to add to the neighborhood.

My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.