I was told to “pick someplace fabulous” for a recent office lunch outing. We went to Han Shin, and it was fabulous. I work right across the street, but never knew this place was there – it is kind of tucked away in the back corner of a new strip mall (anchored by Dickey’s BBQ on one end and Frida’s Mexican Restaurant on the other).

The interior is quiet and cozy. There were not many people there. We were seated at the Teppanyaki grill and cooked for/entertained by Teppanyaki chef Arturo. I’ve seen flashier and better Teppanyaki chefs, but Arturo did fine. My sidekicks all ate grilled meals and said they were very good.

I ordered two sushi rolls: a Sapporo Roll that consisted of Salmon and avocado on crab meat with asparagus, and a Spicy Tuna Roll, which is your typical spicy tuna. The fish was fresh and flavorful, and the rice nicely seasoned with vinegar. They were served with nice drizzles of Rooster sauce (Sriracha) and a brown spicy sauce on the plate, along with your typical green wasabi paste (horseradish) and the whitest slices of ginger I’ve ever seen.

The waitress (who I was later told was the owner’s wife) was very attentive, knowledgeable and efficient, and asked us for feedback, which I found very rare and refreshing. She brought me two Japanese Tempura ice creams (green tea and red bean) which I had never had before. They were coated in rice flour and flash fried. Nothing like Mexican fried ice cream, but were very tasty. I liked the floral note and astringent qualities of the green tea better than the red bean, which was definitely sweeter.

Prices were pretty standard for lunch in the area. Teppanyaki dishes ranged from $ 8 to $ 16. The rolls were $ 13 and $ 12, respectively, and had about 8 pieces each.

I will be going back here more often – but not on Mondays, when they are closed.