Reviews Soto Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar

Really nice sushi spot. I wasn’t sure what to expect but the flavor was great and fresh. We sat towards the front so didn’t get to see all the decor but this whole place looks great and I really enjoyed every thin I ordered. Not a single complaint.

Surprising!. Don't be fooled by the location of this place. Yes, it's in between 2 stores in a strip mall area across from Lakeline mall, but I was pleasantly surprised by the food. Generally, pretty good.
The foie gras/truffle sushi was a little too moist texturally, but the taste was luxurious as foie gras can be. The Unagi maki roll was a bit underwhelming; little eel in the middle.
The Beef negima was decent. The thinly sliced beef was tender, but quite underseasoned. The center of it was quite tasty, with the green onions marinated in soy.
The Chilean sea bass soup should mainly be ordered for the experience of the mint aroma wafting around you, enhancing the soup consumption. The plating of this soup REALLY bothered me though...a tiny bowl of soup on a huge plate almost made it seem like they were trying too hard to be upscale. This place is upscale already merely looking at the interior and the atmosphere, so the plate threw me off a bit.
The agedashi tofu had highs and lows. The tofu was fried well, but by the time it reached the table, the broth had really made the outer coating soft. But the fish broth with bonito flakes was really tasty. The texture of the tofu was really nice as well.
Highlights of the evening: the Fire Salmon and the Pork Tonkatsu. The Fire Salmon is quite a creative dish. Long strips of salmon sashimi draped over a flame that was toasting coffee beans as it lightly cooked the marinated/herbed salmon slices. The raspberry sauce really enhances the flavors presented in this dish. Fun to look at and very tasty to eat. The Pork Tonkatsu was really good as well. More on the typical side of Japanese restaurant cuisine, but the pork cutlets were very tender and the fried coating on it had a perfect crunch.
For dessert, we ordered the green tea tiramisu and the yuzu sorbet balls. The green tea tiramisu was interesting, both good and not so good. The green tea cake layered between the cream didn't have much green tea flavor to it and was heavily saturated with alcohol, almost to the point where I didn't want to keep eating it. But, when you dip a scoop of it into the green tea broth underneath, it's miles better, so remember to do that if you order this! The yuzu balls were both good and not so good as well. It was a beautifully refreshing palate cleanser, but they coated it with some substance that left a terrible oily mouth feel afterwards. I bet this coating is to keep the sorbet from escaping the little capsule it was in. The sorbet contained inside the ball was delicious though, perfectly fresh and a great way to balance the heavier flavors from the meal.
Overall, I enjoyed the meal. Definitely better than your average sushi place, with a nice modern/creative twist to it. All ingredients were clearly fresh and cooked with care, so kudos to the chef for treating it all with integrity.