This sounds like a place to avoid based on that tale alone.

Not to mention that friends keep telling me that this is one of those places where cream cheese and other bizarre ingredients make their way into the rolls.

I want very fresh fish, simply prepared.

Jon we found Tsunami to be very good and very fresh!

Actually, the food at RA (including the sushi but they also have other asian style apps and entrees) has been very good each time I've been. However, it is so loud in there you can hardly hear yourself think!

As with Tsunami, with its canned Thai food, this place is all wannabe hipster style and little substance. The sushi appeared to be forcedly wacky and slightly overpriced. The in-crowd will get bored with this place in a month. The rest of us will keep going elsewhere.

Are you thinking about Tsunami's sister restaurant, Lemongrass?

My one and only stop to Lemongrass will probably be my last. The arrogant attitudes of the bartenders and the food poisoning that I got later were turnoffs. Plus the food was just ehh, not very authentic or interesting. Sort of like Thai food for people who eat sushi rolls with cream cheese and other goofy things. I didn't want to be the first to pile on this poseur palace. Hint: you know what is hip in Bmore: quality food and friendly staff. Places like this with throbbing techno music is best for people who want to be seen and don't have much to say. I know I'm not hip and I'm okay with that. :(|)

Even the hipster rag of record is in line with my view.
http://www.citypaper.com/eat/review.asp?rid=12671

It's harbor east, what did you guys expect

Harbor East is the new bad?

Jon-
You want very fresh fish, simply prepared?

You sure you want to live in Baltimore??

All kidding aside, RA is one of those places with cream cheese in their sushi - but what place is Baltimore doesn't offer bastardized "sushi"? Overall, it's not too bad. Our server was friendly, the sushi chefs are Chinese and the fish was decent - and you can trust that I sampled a lot of the nigiri and steered away from the maki.

They have a tuna on top of fried rice ball that was kind of fun and tasty. Actually, I'd probably order it again.

For some odd reason, I like to start out with a spicy tuna temaki and unfortunately like many sushi joints in Baltimore, the tuna is mealy as though they ran it through the food processor. I prefer my tuna in small dice than the mushy mealy result of using a food processor.

How could "the sushi chefs are Chinese" be at all relevant?

A sushi fanatic from work who posts agressively here took me to MInato's on Charles Street for sushi. Once he showed me (forced me) to simplify my choices and focus on just the fish at first, I really learned to appreciate it more. Instead of getting things more spicy and more complicated, I now look forward to enjoying a more zen version with quieter and deeper tones of flavor (I know that sounds weird, I don't have a great food vocabulary). The owner Alex was very gracious and explained things about the fish that I never dreamed could be relevant or interesting, and yet it was and it gave me some new tools for evaluating sushi. Ommmmm.... And we had fun. Great sake martinis!

Well Voodoo, when you pay attention to who's making your sushi in Baltimore, you start to see a trend: no Japanese. It's mostly Koreans or Chinese - and almost all of them have not been trained in the Japanese tradition.

It's not important to someone who doesn't know the difference and/or eats only cooked maki.

Jay C, thanks for underestimating me, it's my greatest strength (Lao Tse). I know there's no Japanese sushi chefs in Baltimore. I figured we all knew Japanese sushi chefs from Japan in Baltimore were as numerous these days as great Irish heavyweight boxers. I guess it was my knee jerk reaction to what seemed a little racist. My reaction was to the IDEA (not you, I apologize) that some people have that any Asian is somehow better suited to rolling sushi than any Caucasian or African. All of those Chinese learned to make sushi here, possibly last month. Come on, we would rather see Jackie Chan doing our sushi than Wesley Snipes (for so many reasons). Although Tiger Woods would probably do great. I wonder about beinf trained in "the Japanese tradition", as if there is another tradition. Seriously, Americans are pretty stupid and undiscerning about their sushi and prefer the things that are far far out of the Japanese traditon, you know, Capn Crunch roll with hot sauce, cream cheese and Mike and Ikes. No Japanese sushi chef teaches that. How Japanese can it be if there has never been one involved in training even the trainers. I contend that these Chinese/Koreans/Malaysians/Nepalese are being trained American style. You like to mention "per se" a lot. How would you feel if their chefs were trained by Rachel Ray?

Voodoo-
Having been to per se and getting to know some of their FoH staff, I'd have to say: if Keller thought Ray was capable enough to train his staff, I'd be fine with it since I'm eating there based on his reputation for quality.

Since it seems we're on a similar wavelength - any notable sushi places in your mind that are here in Bmore?

I don't think Minato gets enough love. It's all about the fish there. Some serious sashimi fanatics go there. One of the owners is always there (Han and Alex) or their very talented head sushi chef Richard (they take American names sometimes). Han and Alex will gladly talk to you about the fish at a level that will blow your mind. And a true sushi "chef" will make things you have never seen before (all 3 have done it for me) and I'm NOT talking about rolls. Good live scallop. And they taught me to swear in Cantonese. Tell them the guy on the bike sent you. They will know.

I love good sushi but have been largely unimpressed with the local offerings. What does 'safe' sushi mean? Does it mean the fish isn't bloated with mercury? Does it mean that it's been dumbed down? Is it that hard to find some decent otoro tuna and a cold shot of really good sake?

Voodoo Pork- I'll have to try Minato again.

I think it was just a play on safe sex.