Before I even say a thing about it,

I do need to put this fact right out there: I am a sushi snob. I worked for a while at a very upscale, traditional Japanese restaurant where in order to be hired I learned to identify every piece of nigiri (the raw fish that sits atop sushi) and maki (sushi roll) by sight. Not only did I have to learn the names of each one in Japanese and English, I had to know from which body of water the fish was caught. Oh, and then I lived in Hawaii, where sushi is an elemental part of life, eaten by every little boy and girl like it ain’t no thing. All of which makes me a little disappointed that we don’t have more prominent sushi places in our coastal region, but that’s a whole ‘nother story. The point is, I know and like good sushi.

I also want to add that I’ve had very good luck finding excellent sushi in strip malls all over the country. In Hampton Roads I’ve liked Kappo Nara, which is hidden in a strip mall in Newport News that also boasts a Cold Stone Creamery. (My sister and I once hit both and stuffed ourselves with so much sushi and ice cream we nearly puked.) Also, I think Mizuno in La Promenade (a shopping center in VB too nice probably to be called a strip mall) has some of the best sushi I’ve eaten anywhere.

So with that I feel freer to tell you that I found the sushi at Daikichi in Chesapeake to be, well, decent. I wanted to like it more, to be honest. Each item I ordered I wanted to surprise me a little bit. But alas, the techniques and tricks from the sushi bar at Daikichi did not approach what I’ve had in other places. And though I’m writing to a Hampton Roads audience, I’m sure many of you have traveled and had excellent dining experiences elsewhere.

What I like about Daikichi, though, is that even if they aren’t trying to blow my socks off, they offer good quality fish, a creative chef’s menu and very pretty presentations. It’s nicer and more elegant inside than you’d expect, considering of course that it’s in a strip mall.

And the locals love it. Jodi Kontdzer, a customer and Chesapeake resident, told us, “It’s the best sushi I’ve ever had.”

We took the last table in the house and then saw a crowd accumulate at the door immediately after. Brandy Herrin, a Chesapeake resident sitting next to us with her husband and newborn baby said, “This is the first place I wanted to come after having a baby.”

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