text: The fascination with Nakama has always left me confused I am not a huge hibachi fan so my gripes truly rest with the sushi As far as sushi goes Nakama simply does not deserve the praise that it gets Granted when they first opened the food was decent but even back then it was never a truly great sushi placennNow if you like your sushi oversaturated in sauces then you might enjoy it but all too often the rolls are soggy poorly rolled and the fish quality is not as good as you would expect if you were judging the restaurant from the outside Blame it on the pace with which the chefs have to prepare itblame it on them hiring inexperienced sushi chefs Whatever it is it is just not up to par with some of the other sushi places in Pittsburgh In fact the sushi at the Tokyo Buffet on McKnight is just as goodAND THAT IS A BUFFETnnRegardless it is always packed and I am a huge fan of seeing businesses succeed in town but Nakama is truly a place that is gained too much from its trendy status Unfortunately I am all about the food so after you enjoy a good martini and enjoy the little hibachi show what you are left with is the reality that the food is second priority to those other two partsnnThe hibachi is fine but it is nothing specialof course when is hibachi ever truly a special experience tastewise It is just a buttery fried rice fest in your mouth The best hibachi I have ever had at Nakama was the ahi tunathe cut of fish was actually fresher than sashimi that I have ordered there and keeping it seared but rare in the middle kept it from drying out Or maybe that was just the buttereither way it is by far the one thing that I have walked away with good feelings aboutnnThe sashimi cuts that I have had have rarely satisfied Fresh fish should not taste so fishy and for what you pay they should be serving up better cuts The sushi menu is interesting enough that you will be able to find what you are looking for but it is truly a hitormiss experience when the sushi hits your taste budsnnOverall Nakama is the hot spot where you meet your friends before hitting the clubs and make random friends over some happy hour drinks but if you are looking for a quality meal I would enjoy the drinks and move on to any number of better restaurants nearby