Shoji Sushi

In Short
Take your pick from two different scenes. One is the dark and dowdy dining room, enlivened only by chefs working at the sushi bar and a bank of TV sets playing cheesy Japanese cartoons. The other is the sunny, nicely appointed patio, where you dine under white canvas umbrellas surrounded by tropical plants. There seem to be two kinds of food, too. One includes bland, muddled-tasting spicy lobster and Shoji rolls, tasteless tuna tartare, salty and mushy (frozen) king crab sushi and limp, greasy shrimp-veggie tempura. The other includes a delightful crispy oyster roll, delicate local grouper, sea-sweet (fresh) Alaskan king crab sushi and exquisite salmon ceviche, the creamy-textured fish perfectly paired with crunchy cucumber batons and salty bursts of salmon roe. Desserts are more consistent, at least if you finish with the sexy ginger ale float, the ginger ale made in house and infused with the bright flavors of lemongrass and chilies.