This place was never anywhere on/ near my dining radar being somewhat understated the extent (or not) of its distinctions (or not). I even had doubts on its worth, finding imperfection in its grossly extortionate prices.

It was not until a recent visit that delivered a cruel smack. The sushi/ sashimi and or ala carte items were almost non-comestible.

I chose the Sashimi Set ($30) only coz it looked the most appetizing of the *blah-blah* lot of lunch selections. And oh my!

On the platter were salmon pieces, hirasama kingfish and mediocre maguro which all disintegrated under the gentle clasp of my chopsticks. The tai slices taste insipidly un-tai…and ika eew! The *cool* omg chawanmushi hinted at some ginger essence being superfluously added. Gohan used wasn’t vinegared rice in the first place (should it be?). It kinda tasted familiar…hmm…like those from home cooking. Long-grained with a whiff of jasmine, it truly insinuated perhaps Thai rice was used. No? How such a humble bowl has sinned in mediocrity.

The other Sanshoku Set ($25) the friend had was as well substandard. It comprised 3 mini dons ~ Hirasama kingfish bowl, tuna bowl, regular assorted sushi bowl, a fried-then-simmered tai nimono, chawanmushi and the requisite appetizer etc. The friend commented the maguro had overstepped the bounds of taste they being too significantly marinated. Not sure how the rest of his meal tasted like though.

He couldn’t resist an ala carte order of Foie Gras and Eggplant with soy bean paste ($18) simply coz it sounded so bizzare. And oh boy! What a solid piece of foie gras it was! O_O I have eaten foie gras in all manner of recipes and presentations, but never this HARD! As much as we tried our best to forgive this felonious liver, it was against our ethics to even ingest such a blasphemous form. This poor duck sure died in vain. The ensemble was also too overwhelmingly swathed in such a thick puddle of brown miso I felt such injustice for the Nasu that I adore so much…this vegetable.

We being yao kui adventurous, also had 2 pairs of aburi tai ($18/ pair) and aburi hotate ($18/ pair) on our lunch table. The tai neta, slightly scorched and tainted with a smidge of momiji oroshi, didn’t deliver the *oomph* charred flavor or taste that usually have a bearing on aburi sushi. The natural sweetness of hotate was also sadly marred by the brown miso there was none of the nice smokiness emanating from the seared scallop.

Ten-jyaku’s chefs seem to be big on garnishes. From soup to nuts, those little extraneous trivials didn’t manage to serve their purpose the chefs meant to dedicate to their goods. Instead of accentuating the dishes, those dispensable miso, akajiso and condimental embellishments seemed more like superfluous appendages which highlighted even further the poorness of their quality. Yes…a set lunch may not be a veritable gauge to his culinary prowess, but a restaurant or chef who is selective in his deliverance doesn't warrant a commendable excellent review in any matter. I was a happy camper with a mere $15 set lunch just the other day...the chef wasn’t calculative nor had compromised on the quality of the sashimi slices served. Set lunch or not, cooked or au naturel raw, the fish were all so fresh lunch left me nicely satiated, not to mention leaving behind a pleasant memory and good taste in my mouth.

Oh yes… after the most atrocious set lunch ever…not like I would have cared anymore…but as we await our mandatory watermelon slices…they never came. Why so only coz this place doesn’t serve any!! LOL!

I wonder its survivability.

So there you go….here’s my take on an erroneous establishment...once again. A once-chic restaurant that had become completely déclassé. The experience left me flummoxed to the bone…but please please…do decide for yourself, after sweating through this review, if you would want to bring anguish at your own risk.

If you have cash to burn, that is.