Refueling

Just a quick update to my first post a few months ago which had some "constructive" feedback on Fuel. 

I love Fuel - the ambiance, the location, the concept are all great. In the first six months after they opened, they had some issues with service. That's the summary of the first post.  

But I went back with four people on Friday night - and it was amazing. Service was prompt and attentive and the food was hot and yummy. I had my usual Buffalo Burger (it is made with bison meat) and it was cooked to perfection. 

Go back and check it out. 

And to Fuel (if you follow the VNOB), a job well done and keep it up! 

A Sushi Place That You Should Go To

One of my favorite times is sushi time. I will admit that I lived a very sheltered life (not really, but permit me some poetic license) and did not discover the wonders of sushi until I started travelling with work. Since then, my future wife and I like to refer to ourselves as sushi monsters. Growl...

Although there are several sushi restaurants in Charleston (it is on the ocean after all), there is only one worth mentioning. And that is Oriental Garden on Coleman Boulevard. 

It doesn't look like much from the road. And if you do manage to see its retro neon sign as you drive by, you would probably think twice before purposefully entering the building. The non-descript structure is a once-upon-a-time Dairy Queen. So, hopefully by now, you are building an interesting mental image of the place... But seriously, make the turn, pull in the parking lot, get out of your car, and GO IN. 

The fish is super fresh and it is pretty cheap. My future wife and I frequently walk out of there with a $40 or less tab which includes 5 rolls, seaweed salads and beverages. (Remember I said we are sushi monsters?) I would highly recommend the spicy tuna (the end pieces are the best), the Philadelphia Roll and the salmon/avocado roll. As you can tell, we are traditionalist sushi consumers - we like the simple, fresh and raw combinations. For those of you who appreciate the truely creative rolls, they those choices as well, but I may not be the best to provide commentary. The seaweed salad and meso soup are tremendous as well. 

Now one thing worth mentioning is that since it is an old Dairy Queen, it has a drive thru window. And yes, that means you can call in a sushi order and pick it at the drive thru window. How cool is that? 

The owners (I think they are husband and wife) are in the same positions at the sushi bar night after night. They don't talk much, but always have smiles on their faces. And that is enough for me. Diligent sushi chefs who are more focused on their product versus commiserating with the customers is a sign of quality in my humble opinion. 

And one more thing to note if you are still on the fence about visiting. It's always busy. So just go. I and be a happy sushi monster like the VNOB.