Happy Garden - Escalon

You wouldn't think it to look at the place but some pretty good eats read more You wouldn't think it to look at the place but some pretty good eats

I absolutely love this little sushi place! I moved to Escalon almost two years ago, and I truly admire the owner. He is incredibly friendly and takes great prid... read more I absolutely love this little sushi place! I moved to Escalon almost two years ago, and I truly admire the owner. He is incredibly friendly and takes great pride in his food and customer service. I'm not a big fan of raw sushi, so I usually opt for baked, fried, or California rolls, and I've never been disappointed. The service is always quick, too.

On a positive note, the server who took our order and brought our food was very pleasant and apologetic, though he didn’t specify what he was apologizing for. H... read more On a positive note, the server who took our order and brought our food was very pleasant and apologetic, though he didn’t specify what he was apologizing for. He did thank us repeatedly. The prices were relatively affordable, but I wouldn’t call them a bargain considering the quality of the food. Unfortunately, despite our server's friendliness, the service was extremely slow. When we arrived, there were only two other tables occupied, and one more came in just as we were leaving, so it wasn't particularly busy. It took quite a while for him to take our order, and then around an hour passed before our food finally arrived. We almost left in frustration, even considering driving to Stockton to visit our favorite sushi place instead. Ultimately, had we chosen to do that, we likely would have ended up home around the same time, despite spending more on fuel and the meal. We ordered an appetizer, which was brought out after our main dishes. I noticed that our server kept forgetting items for other tables, and at one table, he served their entrees nearly 20 minutes apart. As for the food, we found it disappointing. Some of our dissatisfaction could be attributed to personal preferences, as we ordered both sushi rolls and Chinese dishes. The Chinese food we received tasted quite different from what we’re used to at other restaurants. My wife ordered a dragon roll and found it quite bland; I didn’t taste it myself, but I can only share her thoughts. I had a spicy tuna roll that I would describe as mediocre, and I actually prefer the sushi from our local grocery store to what we had here. Furthermore, one of my roll slices was still partially frozen in the center, which was concerning. It seemed that they might not have fresh fish available and instead freeze batches in advance, which, while better than serving old fish, still doesn’t qualify as high quality. During our visit, I observed the server bringing out ice for our water by digging into a bucket with his hands. The ice appeared to be stuck, and he had to break it apart clumsily. As a result, we ended up with very little ice in our drinks, and the water quickly warmed to room temperature. I feel bad leaving a negative review, especially considering the restaurant’s many positive reviews, but our experience simply did not match up to those expectations. Unfortunately, we won’t be returning.

Awesome food and dedicated husband and wife team running the place. Shun knows how to cook an amazing meal. read more Awesome food and dedicated husband and wife team running the place. Shun knows how to cook an amazing meal.

Superb food and service. read more Superb food and service.