Pearl in a Sea of Sushi

Temecula-Murrieta is awash in sushi restaurants, but this is one of the best ones.

One Sushi and Grill is not going to jump out and dazzle you. It does little to set itself apart from the crowd. What it does have is stylish presentation, a good atmosphere and -- of course -- great food.

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It does more than sushi. It offers about nine salads, 10 noodle and soup dishes and about a dozen teriyaki dishes. I especially like the salad, which is tossed with small chunks of raw fish.

The location is great. It's right off the 215 on Murrieta Hot Springs Road. It has about 22 tables and 20 seats at the bar, meaning you can come alone or with a big party with no problem.

It has two plasma screens and a good selection of drinks -- about eight beers of which only two are domestic, 17 cold sakes running $9-$20 per bottle, five premium sakes running $45-$150 per bottle and numerous white and red wines.

My waitress, Katie, and the manager were super friendly. On the way out, they even gave my eight-year-old daughter a balloon and two lollypops, each fixed with little gizmos that made them light up. She was thrilled. It was a nice touch.

I tried numerous items from the sushi menu, and they were all excellent, though nothing stood out as mind blowing. They serve you wasabe squeezed onto the tray in an ornamental swirling shape though, which was a nice touch.

The prices were a little more than most -- all-you-can-eat for lunch was $20.99, and for dinner it was $25.95. Though, considering how friendly the staff is, how well presented and delicious the food is and how comfortable and stylish the atmosphere is, I'd say it's worth it.