My partner on this assignment and I felt like reviewing Kabuki at Ballston Common Mall’s food court for the fact it was supposed to be for cheap eats. The location of this place was near a Chick-Fil-A but out of the view of those coming down the escalator. As we thought of what to order the cashier at the register was quite polite and patient while waiting. When my partner in this assignment had ordered the Chicken Bowl, a dish suggested by the cashier, we saw how one of the employees started to fry pieces of carrots, chicken, cabbage, and broccoli altogether from behind a glass window that developed steam on it. The show displayed reminded me of how chefs at more expensive and larger Japanese restaurants would cook your order in front of you, except unlike the stunning performance those chefs would display, this chef performed more along the lines of a basic dance that focused just on quickly remembering the correct steps, making this restaurant good for speed and not pure show. Meanwhile, I ordered the Fashion Roll II which was a shrimp tempura with fake crab, and if I remember correctly, avocado and cucumber. As we waited, for our orders, we noticed that despite the small space and what seemed like a cheap mini oven and cramped workspace for making sushi, the shop was pretty well kept. Why I say the shop is well kept is because even though objects are a little cramped together, they are easy to access, allowing dishes to be prepared more quickly.
When we received our orders we noticed that the Chicken Bowl was a rather large portion that was served on a disposable plate while my fashion roll seemed pretty large, though in less than 10 pieces. Sitting at our table in the food court, I tasted my Fashion Roll to find it had a sweet, but not very sweet, taste from the rice. Along with it, the shrimp had a nice taste as well that felt like a melody played when eating with or without the wasabi and ginger they put on my plate to use. The only problem with my Fashion Roll was having to have to eat the two pieces with the tail of the shrimp and trying to extract the shells from the tip of the tail due to being unable to tell what part of the tail was meat or shell, but the rest of the roll did not have such a problem. Trying the Chicken Bowl that my partner ordered, the chicken was a little dry, but was expected since it was fast and because chicken is pretty lean, and the nice taste of the soft but firm cabbage and crunchy carrots and broccoli made up. The sauce used gave the Chicken Bowl a nice taste and the rice seemed cooked so it wasn’t too wet or dry. Overall, the Chicken Bowl was alright while the Fashion Roll was pretty good and well balanced. The order would range about ten dollars or less usually, but definitely less than fifteen dollars. If you’d like something a little sweet, Kabuki is a great place to pick up something quick from somewhere not very packed with lines of people wanting to order. I hope to see this shop grow as it should have a better spot than near a shop guaranteed to steal a majority of customers. I give this place a three and a half paw rating.
