Located just three miles north of campus on El Camino, Naomi Sushi offers a warm, welcoming atmosphere for Stanford students and local families. The ambience is relaxed, casual, and laid back — but not at the expense of great food and service. Though the restaurant is usually bustling with people, there’s no need to make a reservation. The venue boasts two dining rooms as well as a sushi bar, making Naomi desirable for families with small children, large groups, dates, and even those who want to eat solo at the sushi bar with the chef.

The chefs at the sushi bar are friendly and make an effort to please their customers personally. Aside from their exceptional sushi preparation, their desire to develop relationships with regular customers is apparent through their large base of frequent diners — including myself.

I recommend sitting at the bar. To drink, the green tea is free, but a little weak. There is also wide variety of sake, slightly more costly than tea, but guaranteed to be stronger! Start your meal with the miso soup or seaweed salad. Though the miso is not strikingly unique, it is a tasty starter — the mixed seaweed salad is also very flavorful.

Be sure to ask and your server or chef will be happy to tell you about the fresh fish of the day. I recommend sampling some of the fresh rolls, as well as some of Naomi’s “Special Rolls,” including the popular EEWA roll, 49’ers Roll, Stanford Roll and Volcano Roll. These special rolls are priced slightly higher (around $10) but are definitely worth the splurge.

If you don’t like sushi, or sushi simply doesn’t fill you, there are many other delectable options available. The portions are on the smaller side and could easily be a complimentary supplement to your meal. Enjoy chicken teriyaki, prepared tender and sweet, or the “Noodle of the Day — linguine with chicken, shrimp and mushroom.

Price-wise, Naomi is slightly cheaper than most of the other comparable Japanese restaurants in the area. Still, a full meal will cost no less than $15 or $20, a little pricey for the regular college student. Regardless, Naomi is fresh, friendly and a good time; the sushi is just simply juicy.