Where should we eat?

Ronin, located in Montgomery Plaza, is one of the newest sushi restaurants in Fort Worth. FWKelly and I recently had lunch at the new establishment and I am sorry to report that it was not a positive experience. The decor and atmosphere were very hip and cool, but the service and the management were sub par to say the least. One of the most obvious criticisms of the menu was the steep prices. Both the sushi and especially the entrees seemed more expensive than places such as Edohana, Sushi Axiom, and even Piranha. There were few, if any, entrees that were moderately priced. There is a lunch menu that provides a hand-full of lower priced entrees, but the lunch menu does not include any sushi or sashimi specials. There is no bento box or anything similar. If you want sushi, you must order from the dinner menu.

I ordered the Spicy Baked White Fish roll which was described as being baked white fish atop a roll containing asparagus, avocado and one other ingredient. When I received my food, it was nothing like what was described on the menu. Rather than being topped with baked white fish, it was topped with a thick, salmon colored, mayonnaise based sauce that allegedly contained white fish within the mixture. I explained to the server that the roll was not what I expected because it was not baked white fish and she said "Yes, it is. There is baked white fish right there in the sauce" as she proceeded to point at the dish. I asked her what all the sauce was and she explained that was the "spicy cream" portion of the roll. Two diners sitting next to us overheard my exchange with the server. They had also ordered the baked white fish roll and wanted to change their order once they saw it was drenched in mayo (they thought they had made a healthy selection). They also felt the menu did not accurately describe the roll.

During this episode, unfortunately, the owner did not come over to address the situation. All of us, including the diners next to us, were disappointed with the manner in which the situation was handled. To make things worse, the owner eventually came over to our tables to find out who sent back the baked white fish roll. He, like the server, argued with all of us. Another diner suggested he change the description on the menu, but he was not interested in that suggestion. He believed the menu description was accurate and explained he was not making "stereotypical" sushi. He wanted to be exciting and surprise his guests. Who wants to be surprised by what they order at a sushi restaurant?? Not me.

On the plus side, the gyoza (pork dumplings) were very good and the Fort Worth roll (which was what I replaced my first roll with) was quite tasty as well. The Fort Worth roll contained shrimp and cucumber topped with eel. It was unique and I would definitely order it again. On the other hand, FWKelly ordered a spicy tuna roll and a california roll and she seemed remarkably unimpressed. She will not be returning.

Overall impression: My food, with the exception of the baked white fish roll, was really good, but it was tainted with a bad attitude. Hopefully, those at Ronin will learn that customer satisfaction and respect are critical components to gaining repeat visitors.