Basan

Wow, the sushi here was amazing! We visited during Triangle Restaurant Week, so we sampled an appetizer, sushi, & a dessert. All superb! The mussels in butter app was scrumptious. Our server was delightful, left us alone when we asked her to, & was properly attentive otherwise. Presentation & environment also excellent. It’s not cheap (like about $ 12 – 13 for most sushi rolls; $ 8 for a glass of wine), but prices seem in line for restaurants of this class. Highly recommended!

This place is amazing. I’ve been here plenty of times and cannot get enough. I recently went for triangle restaurant week before it ended. Let me tell you. I’m amazed by Toshio’s amazing skills. I had the Yuzu Cerviche for an appetizer, the Korean Steak BBQ, and the coconut tapioca for dessert. Simply amazing.
Usually when I come in I like to order the Hamachi Tiradito. It has thinly sliced yellow tail with avocado, tomato slices, and jalapeños. It is then served with a spicy ponzu sauce. The fish quality is amazing and the mixture of everything is addicting to my taste buds.
Vegetables:
Broccoli
Kinoko mushrooms
Brussels sprouts: I usually don’t like sprouts but these will definitely have you hooked.
Sushi rolls you NEED to try at least once:
Tropical salmon: super refreshing
Screaming O: you will understand the name once you’ve tried it.
Ozeki: bc I love jalapeños and yellowtail
Sekiwake: if you’re a fan of tuna, salmon, and yellowtail
BASAN: this is my absolute favorite. It tastes amazing with the yellowtail, avocado, and seared scallops.
Cheers guys! The service has been awesome every single time. Love it!

The reason I give Basan Four Stars is that the interior is so sleek, I almost left as soon as I walked in based on the assumption that it would be way out of my price range. I took a seat and opened the menu to find the prices very reasonable. The service was seamless and our waiter’s chipperness casted a positive vibe over the meal. I leave off a star because the menu wasn’t particularly special and it felt less authentic Japanese and more Americanized/​commercial. But no regrets!

I’ll keep this as short as I’m capable of:
Service — awesome… maybe we lucked out since we went on a Tuesday night and it wasn’t crowded but our server was sweet, knowledgable, attentive and gave or table of 3 just enough space to enjoy each other’s company without feeling intruded upon. No one had to ask for any refills, condiments etc.
Food — The one gripe I’ve heard continuously is that this place is overpriced. I’m not sure what people’s obsession is in terms of complaining about prices. Prices are listed on menus… if you aren’t comfortable paying them, or think they are «ridiculous» don’t eat there… it’s that simple.
With that said, the food was fantastic on every level and the meal was worth every penny and then some. We ordered 3 appetizers and 4 – 5 rolls to share. I won’t go into great detail other than saying the Miso Black Cod is a must try item in Durham. It was every bit as good as the world class Black Cod at Nobu Miami Beach.

The food was good but the service lacked the quality to match the environment. The décor was
nicely done and it is a great place for drinks and sushi with friends. The service is more like the traditional fast food type of Asian restaurants.

Tuna Tartar — ⁵⁄₅ ($ 12). Absolutely delicious! Would definitely get this again. Comes with a wasabi guacamole and it delicious!
Ishiyaki beef — ⁵⁄₅ ($ 15). Very tasty! Never had this before, but thought it would be worth trying. You get to grill your beef at your table with a few sauces to choose from kizami wasabi, korean BBQ sauce, and yuzu japaleno. Just dip your meat into a sauce, grill then dip again and eat!
Yuzu Lemon Cheesecake — ⁴⁄₅ ($ 7) Yums! Would get this again as well. Definitely make sure to put some of the purée on your cheesecake and enjoy.
Spicy Pork Ramen — ²⁄₅ ($ 10). Unfortunately, this really fell through and wasn’t the solid staple I was expecting.

Great service! our server Liza had the best sushi knowledge and cutest smile!
The sushi was exceptionally prepared and the parings on our sushi boat were the best. Will definitely be back next time I’m in Durnham, NC!!!

Came here for lunch, which is close by to the Bulls stadium, DPAC and the courthouse. We were greeted soon after we arrived and seated right away. Lunch specials are a good deal and includes soup and salad. The corn portage is very creamy and flavorful. Server was very accommodating and professional. The only issue I had was that I smelled a strong odor of bleach nearby (kitchen is open to the dining area) and had to leave early.

Basan is a more upscale-​ish sushi venue near DPAC. I’ve been here a couple times but struggled on what I had to say about it. Sushi can be difficult one for me, so I’ll start with the ramen.
Their spicy miso ramen is good, not fantastic IMO (even locally I’ve had better bowls at Rose’s), but this is my favorite option if you want to go a restaurant with Ramen in Durham (although unlike Dashi they aren’t using antibiotic free local meat). That said you can’t go wrong going with their ramen, it is one of the more affordable options on their menu and satisfies. On Sundays they experiment with different styles of Ramen and I am interested in trying it. (Their corn potage soup is also very good)
In terms of sushi, Basan specializes in very americanized-​Sushi. You’ll see a lot of cream cheese, rolls covered in sauce, there was one with beef on top, you get the idea. I don’t mind this whatsoever, but I understand some people do. The rolls are good, you get big pieces and fresh, quality seafood. I’ve had the sin city and the volcano and quite enjoyed them. As many have mentioned they are not buy one get one, which makes Basan more expensive than Sushi Love/​Sake Bomb/​Mt Fuji etc. Are their rolls are worth the extra money? Yes, I think so. The amount of fish you get with the rolls causes them to be more filling. They also offer real wasabi which is completely worth it to get.
I’ve only been a couple times and I’ve always stuck with the sushi or ramen (the sushi roll combo for lunch is the best way to try rolls IMO). However a companion once had the chicken teriyaki dish and I would say avoid it. I thought it was quite disappointing.
Is it a little too expensive? Yes, though given it’s chic ambiance and location next to DPAC that isn’t much of a surprise. However I have enjoyed my meals here.

Basan is a fantastic, upscale sushi place located right next to DPAC and the Bulls stadium. If you are going on a weekend or before a DPAC show you will definitely need reservations. I went there before a DPAC show the other night and watched tons of people being told nothing was available (and the hostess seemed a little annoyed by the 20^th person). There is a small «community seating» area and the bar if you get there early enough.
As far as the food, I’ve only had the sushi and the veggie plate and both were amazing. There is no BOGO so it does get expensive, but the sushi is the best that I’ve had in the area. Also, spend the extra few bucks for the real wasabi– it’s so worth it.

Five stars for sushi boats!
We came as a group of 7 on New Year’s Eve for a chic and delicious food & drinks, and ordered 2 boats (total 12 sushi, 12 sashimi, 9 rolls), which was plenty. Having been under the impression that Sono in Raleigh was the only place to get good sushi-​grade fish (although soon, M Sushi!), I was incredibly impressed by the quality of the fish, particularly the sashimi cuts. The rolls were delicious, and the specialty cocktails were great, too!
We sat at the tatami-​style group tables towards DPAC, with lovely views of the DPAC Christmas trees. Thankfully the tables are psuedo-​tatami, so you can actually hang your legs down. Maybe not the best seats for less agile people (scooting into those seats with a dress and heels on is harder than it looks), but we thought it was great fun. Service was fantastic.
Would definitely come back here for fancy sushi night, especially for the boats.

First time here, 4:30 Saturday reservations after a 2:00 DPAC matinée. Note: NO reservations were available between 5 and 8 that day, so this place must be super popular.
Anyway, we were given a comfy booth that overlooked the kitchen, which makes me super happy. Green tea for me, unsweetened iced tea for Husband. My tea was brought in a good-​size pot with one tea bag, so it was a bit on the mild side.
I had already looked online (big surprise… hah!) and knew I wanted to try the Spicy Ramen. Husband was a bit shall we say, out of his element? Didn’t know what to try? Knowing he was super hungry, I suggested we start with the Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura. (smart move, by the way).
He finally decided on Beef Tataki: Pan-​seared Angus NY beef with garlic jalapeño, along with Garlic Fried Rice.
The Tempura was decent. For $ 9 we got two shrimp, a slice of zucchini, two green beans, a slice of carrot, a broccoli floret and a piece of potato. The dipping sauce was very mild and could have used a tad more flavor.
TIP: Have ice water handy BEFORE Spicy Ramen appears! It took me way too long to get our Server to bring me water before I could begin to appreciate this Ramen. Thankfully he finally remembered, about the time that I was going to hit the bar with the universal sign for a Heimlich. Once the ice water appeared, I could appreciate the rich broth, the abundance of ground pork, and the noodles themselves. Was expecting an egg, based on pics I’ve seen here on Unilocal,but I do believe the spicy noodle ramen dish has changed since then. Even though I got the small portion ($ 9), I gave up trying to finish it, and got the rest to go. Can’t imagine being able to consume the large one!
Husband liked his beef just fine. Said it was good quality. And very much appreciated his garlic rice as well. «What’s not to love about garlic and butter?» (he said)
I could tell he needed a little something else, so we opted to try the Mango Mousse Cake with Raspberry Purée. This was STELLAR! One of the best desserts I’ve had in awhile. The cake was moist… mousse light and flavorful… loved the fresh mango pieces on top! Raspberry part was minimal, but still added a bit.
Price-​wise, it was all super reasonable… our bill was under $ 50.
TIP: Show your DPAC ticket… it got us a discount… saved a few bucks!

Ba-​san of a gun, I love this place.
My go-​to item is the Chanpon ramen; rich broth and a variety of toppings combine with the noodles to make a delicious dish! The sushi rolls I’ve tried (caterpillar, rainbow roll) are also quite satisfying.
The interior is gorgeous, service is good, and location is awesome; it’s right by DPAC and a nearby garage has free parking on the weekends before the show starts. Plus, if you show them your DPAC ticket, you get a discount on your meal.
I came with a big group once and had the chance to sit at a rather unique table: the floor was indented beneath the table. Apparently, this is in the traditional Japanese style. A bit hard to enter and exit, but a fun experience nevertheless.

Great flavors, awesome location, not so great service.
Went after a DPAC show on Sunday. Was exited to try their Ramen Noodles Sunday (a special night when the Chef comes up with unique Ramen Noodle ceeations)
We were greeted nicely and seated promptly by hostess who checked us in after pulling up our Open Table reservations.
It was not so crowded but a nice mix of families and couples dining that evening. My table of 3 included my husband and child. I was happy to see they had a reasonably priced kids menu. We settled on a bowl of udon noodles/​shrimp tempura for her, which she loved. I ordered the Ramen special and my husband just had the potstickers appetizer. We didn’t take long to order, as we were already to dine after seeing the show. The hostess mentioned they have a special Broadway menu for items to come out quickly when trying to have a bite pre-​show. Our menu items did not come out in a timely manner, nor did anyone offer an explanation until asked. When we asked our waitress, the reply was everyone is waiting. the kitchen is behind. While that may have nm been an honest answer, they was not the correct approach for customer service. I was not concerned with others meals just ours. I saw the manage just standing waiting for orders to come out instead of going around letting people know of the backup. perhaps offering edamame for the wait. I asked to speak to him and shared that thought. Only them did edamame arrive after the meal came which took about 30 mins and he did offer free dessert.
The food was tasty but I will consider other choices when trying to dine pre or post show.

The sushi was good but I felt like I could’ve gotten this type of sushi anywhere. Every sushi place disappoints in Durham, considering chef’s choice of nigiri is ALWAYS tuna, salmon, albacore (your basic fish that you can buy for cheap at a japanese market). Why don’t they ever delight/​surprise their guests with uni, toro, or red snapper?
For the price I was shocked, considering I can get BOGO at any other sushi restaurant in Durham. Though our party got the sushi boat, we paid about $ 20 per person and I think I ate half a roll, and a couple pieces of nigiri. But for this kind of sushi, might as well go BOGO at regular sushi restaurants.
You’re really paying for ambiance here.

Delicious, fresh tasting sushi with a large variety of choices. Nice upscale atmosphere. Great service by Jennifer. Remember to ask for the 10% discount if you are going there prior to a show at DPAC. Avocado seaweed salad is not your traditional seaweed salad. It’s large and flavorful and delicious. Def enough to share if you are following it up with sushi. I would like to return when I have more time, perhaps for a special lunch. Great addition to DPAC pre-​show choices.

Overview:
The décor is awesome! I was here with a large party, so we were able to sit at the recessed table. (mucho fun). Overall, the restaurant has a modern Japanese feel to it. The restaurant can be hard to find since it does not sit directly on the street front – you kind of have to walk around a corner to find it. Just park in one of the parking structures nearby and walk or street parking works too.
The food was alright. I wasn’t blown away by the food. Sure, some of the dishes have the «wow» factor to them, namely the shioyaki beef, but the taste and quality of the food wasn’t extraordinary – just normal. For the prices, the plates were a little small, but that’s to be expected. I think the ramen was the best deal. It was filling and not overpriced.
I didn’t order sushi, but trying the sushi from my friends’ plates, it was just okay. Not my go-​to place for sushi.
Highlights:
The décor is really hip and modern. I think the place is relatively new, also, so everything seems new and shiny.
The recessed tables were really fun to sit at. Do not be fooled, there is space for your legs, so you while it looks like you’re sitting on the ground, you are not!
Bathrooms are super clean.

I was really torn on this review. The atmosphere and décor are some of the best I have seen at a sushi place in the triangle (Yamazushi stomps everything else but what can you do). At any rate, the atmosphere are décor are a no brainier 5. The big bay windows offer a beautiful view the optional floor seating is a fun touch. There is also a beautiful mural and even space in the back.
I found the food however somewhat lacking. I had a three piece tasting plate. The plate included a fried root vegetable and a fried shrimp on a wasabi guacamole. Both were tasty in a fried sort of way, but neither had much of an intrinsic base deliciousness. In other words, places like Sushi Love have much better shrimp and veggie tempura.
The only sushi role I tried was Yokozuna I think? There was tuna and a little bit of roe, but their flavor was completely overwhelmed by the rice, «crab salad», and eel sauce.
With the existence of cheap good quality places like Shiki Sushi and Sushi Love in the triangle, I think that the Basan sushi is a solid 3. And even though the décor is a 5, in my estimation the quality/​price of the food is important enough relative to the décor that combination of these two scores would only warrant a 3.5 overall.
And there in lies my dilemma. I would give this place a 3.5 in a heart beat if Unilocal allowed it, but my personal code dictates that I round down on reviews so I am honor bound to give this place a three.
I plan to return sometime soon to sample the Sashimi and Nagiri and I will update my review accordingly!

Definitely a place to try!
Ordered a few appetizers (brussel sprouts and chikcken — can’t remember the exact names). Both were tasteful!
Unfortunately, sushi is not BOGO, so it is a little pricey… But I think its definitely worth the price! Sushi was tasteful, filling, and overall, very delicious! If you look at my photo, you can also see how great the presentation was.
We also tried their special seafood Udon they had that week. One of the best I’ve ever had. The broth was on point and they were really nice about the seafood and gave us plenty!
Great staff and very helpful! SERVICE WAS GREAT. Our waiter was very attentive and nice!
The inside of the restaurant is great — very clean and nice decorations!

Gorgeous space, great location, completely lacklustre food. I’ve visited twice (dinner and lunch) and have tried: Two types of ramen, a rice bowl, chicken karaage, and the caterpillar sushi roll. None of the food makes me want to come back to pay money to visit a third time.
What you get for the price you pay is one of the biggest negatives of Basan. Their ramen was originally $ 9 at dinner, which made sense considering the portion size is quite small and their meats are not antibiotic free, which is what nearby Dashi serves. When I returned recently, the price of their ramen had skyrocketed to $ 14 – 15 at lunch. This is ridiculous considering their ramen isn’t even good. Their chanpon ramen is so heavy and greasy that it tastes like they added cream to the broth and you’re drinking a bisque. The spicy miso is better, but still not worth it.
If you think Dashi’s ramen is middling and over priced, wait until you try Basan’s! For the high price that Basan is charging for their ramen, you get neither quantity nor quality. Am I paying for their over-​priced rent? Or maybe just Basan’s greed?
I also tried their chicken karaage and it was a big portion size of dry, flavorless chicken meat with barely any sauce. This is not difficult to make, I make my own chicken karaage so I speak from experience that it’s a dish you have to work at messing up. Their caterpillar roll was too much rice for my taste and the same portion size for double the price compared to Sushi Love. The shrimp tempura rice bowl came with three pieces of shrimp, sauteed veggies that tasted mostly of butter, and was probably the best bang for buck at Basan.
I know that Echelon doesn’t own Sono anymore, but I still expected a lot more out of Basan considering how delicious Sono’s ramen is. The best thing going on at Basan is the location and décor. The service is what you normally expect from a restaurant like Basan and definitely not enough to make up for the food. Then again, even the best service can’t make up for bad food.