Tsunami (sushi restaurant) - Baton Rouge, LA

We chose Tsunami because it was recommended to us by several people, particularly for the view, and one of my coworkers had never seen the Mississippi River. Of course, it had started down-pouring again on our way there so we waited out the rain by the bar. I tried my usual "ask the bartender make me a really great drink that's not on the menu" trick where I describe the kind of drink I'm in the mood for (ie "fruity but not to sweet, more tart") and see what they come up with but they weren't up to the task, so I ended up with a Cosmo. It was good, but I was a wee bit disappointed they couldn't come up with something more creative at such a nice restaurant.

When the rain stopped for the night and we were taken to our seats, I admit the view was breathtaking. Luckily the rain stopped in time for us to catch the tail end of the sunset. The view was pretty much the best part, though the sushi was quite delicious and the sushi had a Louisiana spin. We couldn't resist getting the Cajun-themed rolls with alligator in them. That was probably my favorite one actually.

I will say, however, that several things went very wrong over the course of our meal. The food took a very long time to arrive. There were cockroaches (big ones) running around grossing everyone out. When a guy at a neighboring table killed one, we all cheered and some people bought him drinks. I know the rooftop is outdoors, so it's probably to some measure beyond their control, but it was pretty unappetizing. And to finish the night, my coworker dropped his credit card and it fell through one of the slats between the pavers that the patio floor was made of. Luckily we were able to retrieve it with the help of the employees prying up one of the pavers (see left). But that's a serious design flaw. The restaurant did try to make up the slow food arrival by giving us a free glass of wine, but only one glass (which I can't complain about because they gave it to me for some reason - I guess because I was the only lady at the table) and so my other coworkers' delayed gratification went unredeemed. But the restaurant still gets props for at least recognizing they did something wrong and taking steps to rectify it. I have been to other restaurants that didn't even accomplish that.

Overall I would give Tsunami a 3 out of 5 but say that the view makes it worthwhile to attend, despite other flaws.