Noted chef, restaurateur Russell Okubo opens Aji Dori on R Street

Chef's choice sushi roll. | 

Will the third time be the charm for this prime location on Sacramento's popular R Street corridor? If last night's opening is any indication, the answer is a resounding yes!

The newest creation of well known Sacramento chef and restauranteur Russell Okubo, Aji Dori now occupies the space that previously housed Takata-ya. In the last month, Okubo and his staff have transformed the space into a more open, vibrant place. Okubo also operates Aji Japanese Bistro in El Dorado Hills. 

Even though last night was their soft opening, they are off to a good start. Perhaps the most impressive thing was the accuracy and speed of the tickets. The staff was efficient, friendly, and attentive. 

Aji Dori on the popular R Street corridor Sacramento. 

Sometimes when you have speed, you can be sacrificing order accuracy and quality, but that was not the case. For the first night, it was well tuned, especially when you consider this is the equivalent of a shakedown cruise. 

As for the food, they are off to a great start. We especially enjoyed our chef's choice sushi roll prepared by sushi chef Kae. The ingredients are high quality, fresh, and in this day of the ever-present food photography, the garnishment was perfect for snapping a picture or two.

We also shared a bowl of Ramen noodles. We are not that familiar with this increasingly popular dish, but our bowl, which our server Rob recommended, was fantastic. I mean you can't go wrong when your bowl appears with slices of grilled pork belly.

It is evident that Okubo recruited a highly motivated, well-trained staff. Combine this with a selection of traditional favorites and some newer twists, and we think this will be a winning combination.

Aji Dori, 1100 R Street, Sacramento

Honey pine nut shrimp.