CHOPSTIX - RALEIGH, NC

Two days in a row I have dined at CHOPSTIX, a Chinese and Sushi restaurant located in Raleigh’s Creedmoor Crossing Shopping Center. Initially, I was reluctant to try this restaurant and simply because it was outside of our mission to find the best fried chicken. As well, Big Daddy isn't partial to Asian food, it being something he can take or leave.

Day One, it was just the two of us and since he adamantly refuses to eat sushi we ate from their food menu. Our waitress was very sweet but she was the only one serving and there was a nice crowd. Big Daddy ordered the General Tso’s Chicken and I had the Orange Beef. Thank goodness for the crispy fried noodles and duck sauce because it took a minute before we got our food. The waitress apologized for the delay and let us know that meals are cooked to order so they take a minute or two longer than normal to come out of the kitchen. The wait time wasn’t all that bad and since the company was good, neither of us was too bothered by it. Next time we’ll know not to wait until we’re famished to order our meals.

We were both served substantial portions of food. So much so that there was plenty to take home for a late night snack. The General Tso’s Chicken was a flavorful assemblage that showed some real complexity and a texture that balanced those crispy, juicy nuggets of fried chicken with the sauce. Now, Big Daddy is not a fan of white rice unless it’s served with butter and sugar. Don’t ask. All of their entrees only come with white rice. We asked for fried rice instead which they happily obliged for an additional $2 charge.

The Orange Beef was tasty as well. It was spicier than I would have liked and I’m told you can ask for it to be milder but the orange flavor was fresh, the sauce was thick and abundant and the beef slices were melt-in-your mouth tender. We were impressed with both dishes but decided Big Daddy’s chicken was better than my beef.

I have to go back to the service here for a moment. As we were eating, the waitress suddenly comes back to the table and decides that my plate isn’t positioned properly for me to reach my food and so she proceeds to spin it around for me so that I can better access my chicken. It was an eye blink moment as I held my fork in mid-air, the gesture coming out of nowhere. Big Daddy is still laughing.

Day Two I ventured back with Number One Son to try the sushi. Number One Son and I both LOVE sushi. Now, for me, this is where Chopstix set themselves apart from their competitors. We have a favored sushi spot in Durham, NC that we regularly frequent. The sushi has always been on point and their prices (Buy one roll – Get one roll free) can’t be beat. Chopstix, however, took their sushi to another level and now have two new converts.

I don’t know how to aptly describe the Itamae’s or sushi chef’s skills other than to say this man has the hands of a master and welds his knife as if it’s an appendage to his body. The boy is good! 

We started with the shashimi appetizer which was a beautiful presentation of ten pieces of fresh fish. The slices of salmon, tuna, and white tuna melted in your mouth like sweet butter. The fish was above par; fresh and tender with a rich taste and buttery texture. I could have done without the crab sticks which weren’t real crab, just that imitation processed white fish. I personally thought it distracted from the meal and should have been left off the plate but Number One Son enjoyed it.

And here is where I need to interject again about their service. The son and I were having a discussion about the fish that was on his list to try and our waitress suddenly appears tableside to tell us that they had just gotten an order of live scallops and wondering if we’d be interested in their scallop appetizer. Number One Son got very excited and after some wheedling, I agreed. Just seconds later the waitress rushed over with said live scallop, the oversized shell filling her hand, to show us that indeed it was very fresh and still living, awaiting the master’s blade. For a second the gesture threw me off and as my son jokingly teased it felt like it would if we’d ordered bacon and they’d paraded the pig in for us to see before they took it to slaughter. Nevertheless, I was duly impressed when minutes later we were presented with two succulent displays of thinly sliced scallop. The first was served on a bed of sliced lemons which intensified the sweetness of the shellfish. The second was a salad of scallop and cucumbers in a delightful sauce that had a hint of spice. The flavors burst in your mouth and both dishes were absolutely divine.

The scallop was followed by two rolls, the Christmas Roll (tuna and avocado inside topped with crunchy tuna outside) and the Tiger Roll (tuna, salmon, yellowtail, avocado, tobiko, and seaweed salad wrapped in a special seaweed). Both were phenomenal. Flavorful, sweet and amazingly fresh! What Number One Son was quick to point out was that nothing we tasted required soy sauce, ginger or wasabi to accent the flavors. They all stood on their own and were perfection. And the presentations were over the top. Everything was pretty, some of the dishes even coming with flashing lights and flowers rolled from paper-thin carrots and wisps of lettuce. Someone aced the class on garnish 101.

We had just waved the waitress over for the bill when she appeared at the table to tell us about the fresh conch that was on special and so we said, "why not!". The conch or sazae had wonderful flavor but the texture left much to be desire. Glad we tried it but not something I'd rush to eat again. 

Stuffed and ready for a nap we were just about to depart when that waitress showed up with one last platter. “White tuna,” she said. “On the house!” And this freebie was simply scrumptious! The tuna had been lightly seared and was served with a spicy ponzu sauce. It was something we both agreed that we would eat again.

I will definitely return to Chopstix and without a doubt will order the sushi before I order anything else. Although it’s not as budget friendly as my former go-to spot, the Buy One Roll-Get 50% off the Second, really isn't all that bad and everything about our meal was definitely worth breaking the bank.