Restaurants in office buildings and shopping malls seem to lack a certain "je ne sais quoi," and certainly, Sushi Inc. is no exception.

It's all very nicely done, a little mezzanine terrace inside the building with comfortable banquettes and a soothing water feature, but still inside an office tower. You just can't get away from it. Service was a little faltering and the arrival of the food was slow, but when it came, we were mostly impressed. We tried many rolls and, as this is the sister restaurant to Haiku by Hatsune, a place we love, the standard was excellent, although the selection was smaller.

The Wasabi Challenge (65 yuan) almost blew our heads off, but we can't say the waiter didn't warn us, and a crispy Sake-2-me (65 yuan) was the favorite. A few teething problems--the edamame (18 yuan) was lacking flavor and a usual favorite, the octopus sashimi (part of a large plate at 380 yuan), was tasteless and rubbery. Disappointed by the lack of choice in wines by the glass and the 60 yuan price tag, we opted for a bottle of Californian chardonnay, the Smoking Loon, which turned out to be a winner.

In general, a bonus for those working in the area and those who don't want to make a jaunt across the river, but we prefer the much more pleasant ambiance at Haiku.

Sushi Inc.

Add: 2/F, Citigroup Tower, 33 Huayuanshiqiao Lu

Tel: 5877-6551

(cityweekend.com.cn June 3, 2008)