I had seen the sign for this restaurant waaaay out off Midlothian in a new shopping center called the Watkins Center, and I really wanted to try it. Mostly because… I was confused. Asian Bistro? Sushi Lounge? This place has an identity crisis. And unfortunately, you can taste it.
The décor is nice-ish. Very dark, but I like dark in my restaurant. Service was fine as well. They have a full bar and the normal array of wine & beer. We started off the meal with two appetizers, the Gyoza which are pan fried pork dumplings, and Tuna Tataki, a seared tuna (which I get everywhere). The gyoza were probably the best things we had all night. Very tasty, great dipping sauce, perfectly cooked. The tuna was… a bit bland.
(clockwise from top left, Tuna Tataki, Gyoza, Rock n' Roll)
For our main course, Steve ordered the Grilled Lemongrass Shrimp. I got Pad Thai and the Rock n’ Roll. The shrimp was just ok, but Steve was very impressed by my Pad Thai. I thought it was good, too. The Rock n’ Roll was pretty good. The pieces were too big, which is a sushi pet peeve for me, but overall it was fine. For dessert we got the deep fried banana. It was... phallic. And not that great. There was just nothing special to it.
(Clockwise from top left: Pad Thai, Grilled Lemongrass Shrimp, Fried Banana)
We left the restaurant feeling just a little disappointed. There were some hits, but mostly misses. I don’t think we’ll go back to the restaurant, but we may order some food for takeout. Overall, this restaurant proved the occasional problem with fusion cuisine: you end up with a chef who specializes in neither.
Pros: Gyoza! Range of options. Gorgeous plating.
Cons: Overall lack of flavor. Hits & misses.
My rating: 3 sporks out of 5.
Location: 15801 City View Drive
Midlothian, VA 23113
Website: www.chopstixva.com
Cuisine: Asian Fusion; Sushi
Pricing: $$
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