Q: It looked artsy and independent from the outside, but once inside I realized they were trying way too hard. The person who took my order didn't do more than just grunt to me and didn't tell me that I could pick up my drink along a separate wall. It was a bustling Saturday afternoon and the place was empty. You would have thought he'd been more happy to see me. When the barista handed me my drink I realized they'd gotten my order wrong. Somehow, my order for iced coffee became a chai latte. I can't really blame the French/English barrier here as they were both speaking to each other in English. When I pointed out that my order was incorrect. He sighed and said that he wouldn't be able to redo it until his manager came back because it was a different price and he didn't have the authority to change it in the till. What? Not knowing when he'd be back, I decided just to leave and make my way back to the hotel...in 90 degree F weather...with a piping hot chai latte. What saves this from the 1 star category is that I'll admit that it was a darn good chai latte! Spicy and frothy at the same time. I would have liked it much better on a chilly day, but I'll take it.

A: negative

Q: Now I am a HUGE FAN of PHX Public Market on Saturdays but on this Saturday I was headed into Scottsdale for some shopping and decided to stop in to check out their market to see how it compared to PHX. Many of the vendors are the same at both markets. But there were a few different ones. I have to say that PHX is still my favorite. More cozy and I don't feel under dressed if I am not in designer lables. Good thing I had my Prada bag that day, it gave me a bit more Scottsdale street cred' while wandering the market. Overall I am always a fan of venues, markets and opportunities to be intoduced to new businesses and good local food. Definitely a great way to spend a Saturday morning.

A: positive

Q: Love the AYCE sushi! I love anything cream cheese, and popcorn lobster was very good too! there's a great variety of chef specials!

A: positive

Q: Sushi Samba has been a hit or miss with yelpers, and here's my chance to check them out! Featuring a special "Election Day Menu" with specialty cocktails and cheap appetizers, it was a perfect opportunity! Drinks on the menu: * Obamarama (blue) for $11 "Svedka Citron, blue curacao apple liqueur, guava, blueberry" - Really good the first time around. Pleasant to look at and just tasty-good. The guys and gals enjoyed this drink. The second time I ordered it, there was way too much alcohol though, and not in a good way. A good cocktail should be enjoyable to drink; I passed the second one off. * Maverick (red) for $11 "Pearl Vodka, freshly muddled strawberries, orange liqueur, lime, guava" - Served in a martini glass, so a bit more delicate to drink. Pretty tasty as well. I enjoyed it. Bites to eat: * Shishito Peppers ($2) "grilled spicy peppers, sea salt and lemon" - They give you a bunch of these peppers on a plate, and it was okay for me. I tried one and found that to be good enough. Didn't really care for more. * Organic Chicken Aji Amarillo Anticucho ($2) - I found the chicken to be okay, but really enjoyed the Peruvian corn that came with the dish. That was the best part of it. Our order had one skewer of chicken, but the party next to us had two? Hmm... * Spicy Crunchy Tuna Roll ($3) - Really good roll! I liked this a lot and ordered myself another. I like how they do their spicy sauce here; it's more mayonnaise-based. And the slight crunch is nice too. * Salmon Avocado Roll ($3) - Pretty simple roll with just salmon and avocado. But it was fresh fish and good. I'm sad I didn't order more. * Mini Chicharron de Calamar ($3) "cornmeal crusted calamari with tamarind sauce, tomato salsa & plantain" - Our friend's order came out soggy, so they thought it was gross. Ours had a better crunch on it, so it tasted better. It wasn't particularly exceptional, it was okay. I don't remember any plantain in my dish though. * Japanese Chicken Wings ($4) "teriyaki and sesame" - It's hard to go wrong with teriyaki chicken wings, right? Good, but messy. * Chilled Oyster Sampler ($4) "ponzu jelly & tobiko with three oysters" - Really fresh oysters with an interesting ponzu jelly. We were supposed to get another order before we left, so I missed out on more! Next time! * Mini Yellowtail Seviche ($4) "ginger garlic and soy" - Reminded me of Hawaiian poke with the dressing. It was good with the red onions mixed in there, more poke-like than ceviche-like though. * Crispy Yellowtail Taquitos ($4) "shiso, avocado, roasted corn miso and spicy aji panca sauce" a" Two different sauces to put over the taquitos, and it was good. Very messy though as it broke apart after the first bite and was dripping all over my hands. Our order came with two taquitos, but when our friend ordered it, he only got one! * Rosca ($9) "homemade doughnuts with hazelnut chocolate dipping sauce" a" Recommended by our bartender/waitress as her favorite dessert. Four doughnut holes arrived and they were just okay. Disappointing for us, and we wished we had chosen another dessert instead. We spent the whole time at the bar because there was standing room only at this event. So, the girl making our drinks also served us. She was busy but tried her best to make our drinks were full and our orders were in. (Our drinks were good for the most part except for that second Obamarama we ordered. But hey, some people like more alcohol in their cocktails!) I had a bigger problem with the kitchen output and their consistency. With certain orders coming out, sometimes you got two of something and other times you got one. Our friend mentioned that we got more sushi in our order than when he ordered it. (Makes you wonder what happened to the other pieces.) Overall, we had a decent experience at Sushi Samba. You definitely can't beat the price and the atmosphere is casual, which is nice alternative at a strip hotel. 3.5 stars. They also offer a happy hour (Sunday through Thursday from 4 to 7 pm, and then a reverse happy hour from 10 pm to close), available in the bar area only. (Pics posted, of course!)

A:
positive