The fascination with Nakama has always left me confused. I'm not a huge hibachi fan, so my gripes truly rest with the sushi. As far as sushi goes, Nakama simply doesn't deserve the praise that it gets. Granted, when they first opened, the food was decent, but even back then it was never a truly great sushi place.\n\nNow, if you like your sushi over-saturated in sauces, then you might enjoy it, but all too often, the rolls are soggy, poorly rolled, and the fish quality isn't as good as you'd expect if you were judging the restaurant from the outside. Blame it on the pace with which the chefs have to prepare it...blame it on them hiring inexperienced sushi chefs. Whatever it is, it's just not up to par with some of the other sushi places in Pittsburgh. In fact, the sushi at the Tokyo Buffet on McKnight is just as good...AND THAT'S A BUFFET!\n\nRegardless, it's always packed, and I'm a huge fan of seeing businesses succeed in town, but Nakama is truly a place that's gained too much from its trendy status. Unfortunately, I'm all about the food, so after you enjoy a good martini and enjoy the little hibachi show, what you're left with is the reality that the food is second priority to those other two parts.\n\nThe hibachi is fine, but it's nothing special...of course, when is hibachi ever truly a special experience, taste-wise? It's just a buttery fried rice fest in your mouth. The best hibachi I've ever had at Nakama was the ahi tuna...the cut of fish was actually fresher than sashimi that I've ordered there, and keeping it seared, but rare in the middle kept it from drying out. Or maybe that was just the butter...either way, it's by far the one thing that I've walked away with good feelings about.\n\nThe sashimi cuts that I've had have rarely satisfied. Fresh fish shouldn't taste so fishy, and for what you pay, they should be serving up better cuts. The sushi menu is interesting enough that you'll be able to find what you're looking for, but it's truly a hit-or-miss experience when the sushi hits your taste buds.\n\nOverall, Nakama is the hot spot where you meet your friends before hitting the clubs and make random friends over some happy hour drinks, but if you're looking for a quality meal, I'd enjoy the drinks and move on to any number of better restaurants nearby.
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