Twice a month, El Estoque goes to restaurants around Cupertino and takes a chance by asking the waiter to personally choose our food for us. This week, we continued the alphabetical theme with a trip to I.Sushi & Grill, a sushi restaurant that incorporates traditional Japanese dishes with modern tastes.

Shrimp Tempura

Price: $7.00

Rating: 4 stars 

The shrimp tempura, which was covered in batter and deep fried, also came with sweet potato and zucchini tempura and a dipping sauce. The sauce added flavor to the dish with its saltiness, and the crunchiness of the fried shell complemented the soft texture of the shrimp and vegetables. Even though the tempura was oily and coated in grease, it didn’t affect the overall taste of the dish.

Nigiri Special

Price: $14.00

Rating: 4 stars 

The Nigiri Special was made of 10 different kinds of raw fish chosen by the chef, from hamachi to octopus, on top of a bite-sized portion of rice. It was served with a dollop of wasabi and some slices of ginger on the side. Overall the sushi itself did not have much of a taste, but had some spice and flavor when eaten with the wasabi and ginger. The fish were good quality and fresh, and the tempura dipping sauce from the appetizer paired well with the subtle flavor. Even though the entrée was essentially 10 bites of sushi, it was enough to fill us up along with the other dishes.

Beef Teriyaki

Price: $12.00

Rating: 3 stars

The beef teriyaki, while appealing to the eye, was not as pleasant as it looked. It was a grilled New York steak topped with sweet teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds on top of a bed of lettuce and a side of sticky rice. While the sauce and the rice together made for a cohesive dish, the beef itself was tough and chewy, making it hard to enjoy. It would’ve been a well-executed entrée if the meat wasn’t so difficult to eat.

Reporting by Aanchal Garg and Devika Watave