Along the culinary United Nations that is South Grand, Café Mochi is a happy hour haven for the sushi-inclined, with half prices on nigiri and maki-zushi. From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, you can decompress over many of the standard sushi offerings, along with some pleasant surprises. The sweet shrimp are tasty. Smelt roe, sunrise yellow, pops on the palate like crispy gold. Rolls are suitably dramatic. Wrapped with tempura and salmon, topped with broiled scallops, the spicy mayo sauce–drizzled Fuji Roll is an architectural wonder. The Kobe Delight is a hefty roll packed with squid, crab, asparagus, and radish sprouts and topped with grilled steak.
Serious sushi fans will enjoy the good selection of beer, including Japanese Asahi, and sake. The two-for-$6 cocktails fulfill your minimum daily fruit juice requirement and then some. The atmosphere is club-cozy, the interior a celebratory hot magenta, and there are plenty of seating options, from the bar to a convivial dining room to a lovely patio.
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At Hotel Ignacio, Baiku Sushi Lounge offers 20 percent off checks during happy hour, 4:30–6 p.m. Tuesday–Friday. The Clover Roll is punctuated by the surprise of cilantro, and the Yakuza is serious drinking—despite the addition of a little honey syrup, Japanese whiskey and locally made Big O ginger liqueur do the job.
Among the other top happy hour sushi destinations: Oishi Sushi, Wasabi, and Drunken Fish, which feature drink specials and/or reduced prices.
