Most couples getting to know each other in the early, exploration phase of their relationship ask the question, “What are your favorite foods?” When my partner, Jason, asked this of me early on, I proclaimed sushi was on my list of top-five favorite foods. While it was years ago, I can still remember his instant visceral, negative response of sushi. My immediate follow-up was to ask if he had ever tried it. Much to my smirking delight, he said no. On one of our first dates, we ate sushi and he has been hooked ever since. Until lately, we had to travel outside of the Festus, MO area to eat sushi at a restaurant. We are beyond thrilled to now have a couple places in town that serve sushi.
We recently dined in at Kasabi, located at 343 N. Creek Drive in Festus, MO 63028. Many know this location as the “old Taytro’s” in the building next to the new Taytro’s Bar & Bistro.
We arrived around 5:00 PM, which was just in time to snag a table for dinner. This place was hopping/very busy. I consider this restaurant to be a hybrid of many sorts. While you can sit down and relax at a table to determine what you would like to eat, you need to walk to the front counter to order your food.
The relaxation can then continue as the food is brought to your table. Having ordered multiple items, our experience was that each individual dish was delivered at separate times, as soon as it was ready, compared to your entire order being brought to your table at the same time. While this assured food freshness, with the perfect temperature, it also made for a more prolonged and segmented meal.…not necessarily a bad thing.
The menu was also a hybrid of cooked and raw food with a variety of different preparation styles for your sushi, hibachi or ramen: healthy, fried, classic, specialty, animal proteins, vegetarian and more. 
The sushi and appetizers that we ordered did not disappoint. As someone who considers myself slightly addicted to dipping sauces and dressings, I absolutely loved the fact that they had all of their sweet, spicy and savory sauces, with itty-bitty cups available, next to the fountain drinks, to sample at your table or cover with a lid to take to go.
The Kasabi team was extremely friendly and prompt in their service with folks who both dined in and had orders to go. I observed another couple asking questions about the menu, looking for assistance with what to order, as this food was unfamiliar to them. The team member was patient with their questions and knowledgeable in providing kind and helpful answers. They also cleaned up tables quickly after people were done to ensure those waiting could sit down as fast as possible.
Due to the popularity of this restaurant, there may be a wait for a table, which is totally worth it. You can also call ahead for carry out or take advantage of DoorDash to have your food delivered to your home or work place.
This is another non-paid endorsement of another fine Festus restaurant. I encourage you to check out Kasabi and support our local establishments. I also invite you to try sushi, if you have never before. Bonus points if you can convince someone else to try sushi. Once they are hooked, your bragging rights will live on forever in the humorous dynamic of your relationship, like it has with mine.
Kasabi Japanese Steak, Sushi & Ramen
Another time we had an awesome date night out:
