The only thing better than sushi with friends is sushi at Friends. Bring a few of yours to this Japanese restaurant and share some maki and sashimi. While you're waiting for your rolls, start with the crab cake topped with wasabi-infused aioli and finely sliced fried beet. Or nibble on the salmon carpaccio garnished with soy vinaigrette. The most popular roll is the one named after the restaurant. It's sliced into 8 pieces stuffed with shrimp tempura, red tobiko, cream cheese and green apple, and it's all topped with eel, avocado, tempura clusters and several spicy sauces.
Vegetarians can take delight in nine choices of fish-free rolls—mushroom, cucumber, spinach and avocado, to name a few—and their scaled-down prices ($4-$7). Chances are you'll spend more on valet parking than lunch at this Gold Coast sushi spot. Save those dollars instead for mochi ice cream—sticky rice shells filled with an icy confection (tip: strawberry goes quickly, so request some ahead of time).
Service here is just as good as the food. The wait staff is attentive, knowledgeable about the menu and helpful with recommendations. Waiter Paul may have been biased when he said Friends has the best crab cake in town, but opinions are easily swayed when flavors are as eloquent as the presentation.
Centerstage Reviewer: Stacy Warden
