The Ajisai Sushi Paradox:
If you search for “All-You-Can-Eat sushi in Tampa,” Ajisai Endless Sushi & Hibachi on E Fowler Ave is guaranteed to be near the top of your list. Its online reputation is solid, packed with glowing reviews praising the variety, the value, and the flavor.
So, armed with high hopes and empty stomachs, we went to see what the hype was all about.
What we found wasn’t just a simple “off night.” It was a genuinely shocking experience that makes us question the glowing reviews we read online. This is the meal that was, and the meal that should have been.
A Glimmer of Hope
Let’s be fair: the meal didn’t start as a complete disaster. We’re honest brokers here, and we give credit where it’s due.
The first items to hit our table, a Tampa Roll and a Chicken Tempura Roll, were… perfectly fine. They were exactly what you’d expect from an AYCE spot. Not life-changing, but they were fresh enough and did their job. We were satisfied and ready for the main event.
Unfortunately, that’s precisely where the quality, and our confidence, fell off a cliff.
Where It All Fell Apart: The Red Flags
The second round of food that arrived was not just a step down; it was a nosedive. The two biggest offenses came from opposite ends of the kitchen.
The Cardinal Sin of Sushi
The most alarming issue—and frankly, a deal-breaker for any restaurant serving raw fish—was a massive cross-contamination problem.
Our non-fish sushi rolls, like a simple avocado roll, tasted distinctly and unmistakably… like fish.
Let’s be crystal clear. This isn’t a minor “flavor preference” issue. This is a major hygiene and safety issue. It signals that dirty cutting boards are being used, gloves aren’t being changed between orders, or knives are not being washed. When your “safe” rolls taste like old fish, it’s an immediate, appetite-killing red flag.
The Untouchable Hibachi
Hoping the sushi bar was just having a bad moment, we looked to the “safe” bet: the hibachi. This, too, was a profound disappointment.
The Chicken and Steak Hibachi that arrived at our table was of such poor quality that it was virtually inedible. The meat was dry, the flavor was flat, and it had the unmistakable texture of food that had been sitting under a heat lamp for far too long.
We couldn’t eat half of the food we normally love.
So, What’s the Real Story at Ajisai?
This is the paradox. How can a restaurant with so many 5-star raves be serving fishy-tasting tempura rolls and dried-out, low-grade hibachi?
We see two possibilities:
1. We caught them on the single worst, most chaotic, under-staffed night in their entire history.
2. The quality has recently taken a nosedive, and the mountain of old, positive reviews is hiding a new, grim reality.
The Verdict: A Risky Gamble We Won’t Take Again
All-you-can-eat is always a bit of a gamble. But you should be gambling on value (Will I eat enough to make it worth it?), not on safety (Will my food be cross-contaminated?).
The Ajisai we experienced is not the one we read about in the 5-star reviews. The quality has diminished to a point where we simply cannot recommend it. That “fishy” taste is a warning sign that we just can’t ignore, and no amount of “endless” food is worth that risk.
We went in hoping for a hidden gem; we left feeling worried.
We Want the Real Story!
This was our experience, but what’s yours?
