I am a planner, I judge people and events quickly and I am rarely surprised. I predict movie endings throughout the drama unfolding on screen. I calculate book endings before arriving at the back cover. And, I forecast a person’s attributes upon meeting him or her. Being my usual self, I had envisioned a particular Missouri Boulevard eatery and created the story I expected – a kitschy restaurant with cheesy music and unfortunate décor. Though, my prediction didn’t align with the experiences my friends shared about their lunches and dinners. Ultimately, I was intrigued enough to push my judgment aside and experience Love Sushi. Recommended highly by my guest, Randy Scheer, the restaurant was a huge surprise…in a really great way. I cannot think of a time I was happier to be wrong!
I should have known my mental production of Love Sushi was slightly off when I pulled into its parking lot, which was completely full of the lunching crowd. Approaching the red and white building donning my running clothes, I felt the guttural tug of being underdressed, which I was. Adding insult to injury, the sign touting daily specials read “Sexy Lady Roll,” and all I could think was…not this girl. Upon entering the door, I was instantly greeted by one of the chefs. Randy was waiting at a table and we began one of the best surprises I’ve experienced in some time – a great experience, incredible food, and a huge dose of humble pie. Love me some Love Sushi!
The Place
Love Sushi is located at 2201 Missouri Boulevard. Disguised in a former KFC building, Love Sushi is worth braving the Boulevard lunch traffic. It is open everyday from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., which is particularly important, as it is difficult to find a Sunday evening eatery in JC. Dine in, carry out and catering options are available.
The People
Love Sushi’s service is fantastic. Customers are cheerfully greeted when entering and exiting the door. The wait staff is friendly, helpful and attentive. Our server, Virginia, was no exception. She assisted Randy and me, though, Randy is a Love Sushi regular and seemed to know the menu by heart…or taste I suppose. He also enlightened me to the benefits of being a “regular” customer including Love Sushi providing and storing a pair of personal chopsticks behind the counter for it’s preferred clientele. Randy is on a quest to attain his own set of chopsticks – clearly two visits per week isn’t sufficient.
The Product
The product and presentation exceeded my expectations greatly. Under Randy’s guidance, we ordered a selection of food to share – a great plan for a Love Sushi rookie. We settled on the octopus salad, a Sexy Guy roll, a Sexy Lady roll and a Dragon roll.”The delivery of each roll was precisely executed with two on fire and the other ornately placed on a serving platter. The flavors, ingredients and textures were perfect. We tried to determine our favorite but had difficulty selecting just one. I will return to try more options and continue my quest to find my favorite!
The Price
Prices range from $4.50 – $14.95, depending on selection. Our rolls were quite large and well worth their respective price tags. We were pleased with our experience, had food to take home and neither Randy nor I walked away hungry.
The Pizzazz
Surprise. I’m rarely surprised but this adventure yielded one heck of a shock. All of my pre-judgments were blown to bits within a few mere minutes. I no longer will hear the saying “you can’t judge a book by its cover” without thinking of Love Sushi. Who could have imagined that such a great experience was hidden within some former KFC walls? Do not let the outside fool you. This definitely was my favorite adventure to date.
