Queee Sushi Station & Portuguese Cuisine

Sorry to see it closed.

This business concept is just too damn funny. Like sulkie racing for poodles or something.
Would have never thought of this fusion.
I assume somebody in the lineup has had dealing with Macau at some point, but sushi + China is also a stretch.
But is was all good if inauthentic. Nigiri sushis made by anybody but nihon-​go speaking chefs is usually against my religion, but these guys did it pretty darn right. Impressive.

This place is a definite hidden gem. Portuguese cuisine with Japanese sushi in Chinatown? Is that even possible? We had trouble finding this restaurant and if not for Unilocal and Tasting Table, I would never have came across this place. A restaurant that is not pretentious, serving great food, complimentary amuse-​bouche, friendly staff, a chef who comes out and checks on the guests; its like a high end restaurant in a casual setting.
We sat down and as we started looking at the sushi order sheet on the table, a waiter brought over two amuse-​bouches; one a plate of roasted pumpkin seeds with sea salt and a plate holding 2 spoons containing seared ahi tuna. Both were amazing and delicious.
Food ordered, sushi: uni (really fresh, big portion, $ 8 for 2 pieces is a great deal), sweet shrimp (GIANT, deep fried head = yummy), tempura roll topped with spicy tuna (big portion, spicy tuna fresh, creamy, lots of fish). Main menu: the caldeirada (fisherman’s bowl) — it was a bowl of tomato seafood broth which was light like consommé and loaded with clams, mussels, big shrimp like prawns, squid and served with rice and bread. All for $ 11 — that’s a great lunch deal. We also got the grilled lamb chops, cooked medium — meat was tender, juicy and served with rice and pickled cucumber.
We were so full at the end that we couldn’t order dessert even though we kind of wanted to see what the chef would cook up — and though we declined this time, the chef still sent out a complimentary dessert bite served on a spoon — a coffee cognac candy which we wanted much more of.
This is one of those restaurants that you want to treasure and want to get to know the chef and walk in and just ask the chef to cook what he thinks is good to eat.

We arrived at 2 PM on a Saturday and noticed the CLOSED sign. o_​o Confused we double-​checked the website on our phones and it said open from 11 am– 4 pm Mon-​Sat.
We peeked in through the window and saw people in the kitchen, so we called to ask but before they picked up, the head chef opened the door and said that they were closing. Our faces must’ve been full of disappointment because he then changed his mind, and let us in xD
Apparently either the hostess or the hostess’ sister had a baby so they were going to close early since there were no patrons. But seeing us, they kept it open for awhile more.
It was nice having the place to ourselves for a majority of the meal: D
After we ordered, we got complimentary tasters– roasted almonds, and seared tuna. Mmm! The almonds had this oil on it with salt and pepper, so addictive. The seared tuna had a very nice texture and firmness to it and tasted wonderful.
Our sushi orders came first, Maguro ($ 4), Salmon ($ 4), Uni ($ 6), Sweet Shrimp ($ 6)
Maguro was ok, tuna tends to all taste the same for me unless it’s bluefin. Salmon was good, but both Maguro and Salmon had too much rice in it. The rice a little too chilled but it was still soft.
The Uni was super fresh and delicious. And for that price for 2 pieces, decent.
Sweet Shrimp was ginormous. Plump raw sweet shrimp :0~ Came with fried heads with a tangy dipping sauce. Also very good for the price.
Next, our roll came. The Spicy Tuna with Seared Albacore ($ 8) It was large, with 8 pieces and generous fish slices. Fresh!
We also ordered a Daily Special that was the portuguese side of the menu. The Fisherman’s Bowl ($ 11) had mussels, clams, squid and fish pieces in a tomato-​y broth. Also came with rice, and bread. The broth was light and went well with everything. My bf sopped it all up with the rice and bread. Mussels were decent sized, and I liked that the best along with the squid.
We were stuffed after all that food, and the Chef also gave us complimentary dessert tasters of Napolean. A very nice ending to our meal :)
Overall the prices were decent, although the common fish like Maguro and Salmon could be bumped down a little for what they are. The Uni and Sweet Shrimp were excellent.
We’ll definitely come back again and try more dishes! It’s a shame they’re not open for dinner as well.

This has been one of my favorite discoveries in Los Angeles. The food you get is across the boards excellent. The quality of sushi you get for the price is to me one of the best in town. For the Portuguese dishes I’ve tried one of the specialties, the Porco a Alentejana. The pork in the dish captures the shellfish in a magical way that bring the flavors together harmoniously. The restaurant itself is beautifully designed and very comfortable. I like how the kitchen is open and gives diners a chance to watch the staff in action. The chef was gregarious and sent out a tasting of the Napoleon which was exquisite. The service was exceptional. I really loved this meal and can heartily recommend it to others.

Who would’ve thought to put Portuguese and Japanese food together in Chinatown? Genius.
The owner/​chef is sooooo adorably friendly. My friend and I came here for lunch at 11am and even though they don’t open until 11:30am, he still let us in and took our order. We had their sushi and seafood bowl (like a paella without the rice) and it was pretty delish. The décor is too cute for that part of Chinatown, but I think it’s a good start to revamp the area.
Too bad they’re not open for dinner. It’d be a great date place.

Japanese and Portuguese restaurant in Chinatown?! Strange, weird, unassuming, and AWESOME!!!
I think I found a new spot! I was taken here by my boss and have nothing but positive words to say about this place.
The Food: We had the Pork and Clams, Fried catfish, and Lamb. The pork and clams were full of flavor, the catfish was super moist, and the lamb was not too gamey. We also tried the spicy tuna with albacore and mmmmm… mmmmm…mmmm… it was good!
The items on their menu are moderately priced. The customer service here is on point! The lady that was the hostess/​waitress/​server is kind, friendly, and quick (even if she was the only one working while the restaurant was getting more and more crowded). They gave us free tasting spoon appetizers and desserts. The chef/​owner actually came out to make sure we were having a good meal and took our suggestions on if we had any improvements to make.
I will be back and recommend this place as a MUST for foodies everywhere!

Service and hospitality is amazing. The chef is great! He made us feel as though we were welcomed into his home. Hugs and all. Great Traditional Portuguese man with a kind heart.
The food is probably some of the best I have ever eaten. Each meal is full of great flavor, and all the fish is super fresh. I will for sure become a regular.
Prices are so not expensive at all. I left feeling so satisfied and full.
This place is a MUST TRY for everyone!!!

My dream has come true… a place to get good sushi, cheap and close to work. I love this place. The sushi is extremely fresh. The prices are extremely reasonable. The location is in Chinatown, which is perfect for me because I can walk here.
I am looking forward to trying the Portuguese food sometime soon but it will have to be on a day when I am not in the mood for sushi.

Heard about Queee (thanks to Tasting Table LA) and 4 days later I was there with 5 other great friends. Being that I’m Portuguese I had to come for the Portuguese Cuisine dishes, not to mention that I also love sushi! Paulo was kind enough to serve us a sampling of super fresh tuna sashimi and we feasted on yummy roasted almonds while looking over the menu. I went with the Chicken Piri Piri which was flavorful and served on a light bed of greens with an amazing spicy cream dressing. A couple friends got the Caldeirada (traditional Porgtuguese seafood stew) which was pretty authentic tasting. Another friend got the Sablefish with a lovely sweet miso sauce. For desert I ordered the traditional flan (awesome) and Paulo surprised us again with a sampling of the orange flan (duh-​delicious) and little Napoleons (butter-rich-goodness)…we were done for. The service was very attentive and pleasant and Paulo, well let’s say it was like seeing a long lost relative. Definitely going back this coming Saturday for his Fado dinner!!!

Fresh fresh fresh fish!
From the first taste at the City’s Asian Pacific American Heritage opening ceremony this year to my subsequent lunches, Chef Paolo has delivered some great fresh fish sushi everytime.
Mind you service is slow, so plan on having a nice leisurely meal time scheduled. If you do have to rush back to the office/​off to your next event and crave Queee Sushi Station, try and order in advance.
The chef is very gracious and everytime I’ve been there he’s the one usually taking your order. He tries to ensure that your experience there is a good one.

Queee is an unusual mix in a strange neighborhood. What makes Queee stand out is its excellent customer service and exceedingly fresh sushi. Customer service alone made for one of the best dining experiences of my life.
Where it falls short is in the convincing execution of its Portuguese dishes. Its strength is its sushi and Japanese dishes, crafted by an extremely competent Portuguese-​born, Japan-​trained chef.
I had gone for a late lunch and thought the restaurant was closed as it was completely empty of patrons. I thought I’d simply order the grilled lamb chops with rice ($ 12), but ended up adding more of the sushi options after the dish arrived with a delicious, complimentary albacore amuse bouche. It pays to be the only patron!
The lamb chops, ordered as medium rare, turned out to be medium well-​done on the outside, and medium-​rare closest to the bone. Lamb chops can be fickle, but I expected better from the chef. The chops were coated with a delicious mildly sweet, mildly spicy rub. I noticed cumin and star anise as well as some chocolatey flavour (cocoa?) I couldn’t place in the rub. 3 single ribs arrived with the dish. The side of rice was served completely in its own bowl, with slices of toasted nori on top. It made for an irritating and disconnected pairing — the rice was simply sushi rice. It was irritating to try to eat the rice with a forkful of lamb as the rice bowl simply did not allow for easy manipulation with knife and fork. No sauce or other addition tied both dishes together and I am still unsure as to why the chef thought to pair both clearly disparate flavours.
The albacore tuna amuse bouche, however, was very good, and inspired me to order from their sushi menu. The amuse consisted of a slice of albacore tuna sashimi drizzled with balsamic soy sauce. Tiny rings of fresh spring onions garnished the amuse, served on an Asian-​style porcelain soup spoon.
From the sushi menu, I ordered the house special Spicy Tuna topped with Seared Albacore roll ($ 8), and an order of 2 pieces of uni sushi (sea urchin) ($ 6).
The spicy tuna roll was a meal unto itself — it was well worth the $ 8 price tag. The seared albacore provided a subtle and delicious smokiness to the dish with its slight char. Overall, however, the dish grew in heat into an unpleasant final bite. The spiciness in the dish could have been dialed down a little without foregoing any of the pleasure.
The uni, on the other hand, were amazingly rich and creamy and fresh. A real treat.
The final surprise was a taster of 3 desserts, assembled on their own porcelain soup spoons, compliments of the chef. I didn’t think I could eat any more, but the orange dulce de leche was exceptional. The faint bitterness of orange peel very nicely enhanced the dish’s burnt caramel sauce. My server had very appropriately lauded the dessert (she claimed to have been stealing bites of it all day), and I only wished I had more space to have a full plate of it.
It was an extra-​special touch that one of the dessert tasters was a special creation that the chef had just concocted. It was a pale golden dessert, with crunches of sugar rolled in what seemed to be a buttery shortcrust paste.
By the end of the meal, I was so comfortable and so welcomed that I ventured to suggest the new dessert’s inclusion of chopped nuts for texture. My server seemed honestly open to the suggestion, and offered to pass it along to the chef. Now, if the chef does go ahead and incorporate the dessert, along with my suggestion, I would be honored.
My experience at Queee was a great reminder that even if some food dishes may miss the gastronomic mark, service can make for an unforgettable and truly enjoyable experience.

I’ve had lunch here a few times now. Each time, Chef Paulo always surprises me with exquisite new dishes tying in Japanese & Portuguese tastes.
Sushi & Sashimi is always fresh and refreshing even the uni, so fresh and sweet-​tasting. LOVE!
Then the Portuguese dishes: piri piri chicken salad & seafood caldeirada were great! All the spices were season to perfection.
Next up were saber fish fillet and lamb chop were melt-​in-​your-​mouth yummy!!! Oh my goodness, so delightful!
Don’t forget dessert: flan, Napoleon and mochi ice cream. They are so yummy! So smooth!
I always leave his restaurant stuffed. The food is that good that you want to savor everything on the spot! Can’t wait to see other new dishes he’s creating.

My co-​worker and I had lunch here today and it was by far, one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. The fish was so fresh, sushi rolls were proportioned just right between the rice and fish. For me, the amiableness of the hostesses and the chef pushed it over the top.
I will definitely be back and will have to try the flan. =)
Would love to see them have night hours!

Just had lunch here and it blew my mind! We ordered the chef’s special, and he brought us the yummiest dishes I’ve ever had:
— Seared scallops with Tomato and Asparagus
— Philadelphia roll with Seared Salmon
— Spicy yellow tail roll topped with seared Tuna
— Sable-​fish, Saikyo style with rice (the best fish ever!!!)
Everything was incredibly fresh, tasty and tender, and prepared to perfection, not to mention the presentation that was incredible. And all for under $ 20 per person!
For a unique and delightful culinary experience, check out this place, you won’t be sorry! :)

I was here yesterday (9÷10÷10) for a business meeting. This restaurant is tucked away in the heart of China Town, north of Cesar Chavez. The décor is tasteful yet simple. I enjoyed the modern look of this place.
The chef is humble and unassuming. I ordered the Saberfish, which was sweet and tender. We also had various sashimi. They were all very fresh and delightful.
The flan is absolutely wonderful. The server makes it herself. I really enjoyed the experience here.

Normally an empty sushi restaurant is an F* No! for me. But given Chef Soares reputation I decided it might be worth suspending my disbelief. Went to dinner here last Friday during the Chinatown summer nights.
My chance paid off. The sushi is very high quality and fresh fresh fresh. We ordered all over the menu. Basics like Tuna, yellow tail, salmon, but also salmon skin, toro and sweet shrimp. The salmon skin was meaty (when do you ever see that?) and perfectly crisped but also seasoned/​spiced surprisingly well. The sweet shrimp was sweet and clean tasting, with a great texture, slick and crisp to the bite. And the head — which given the empty restaurant, i figured would be greasy and inedible — was crisp like a potato chip, clean tasting and piping hot. The Yozu it came with was also tangy, delicious and chilled.
Other highlights were the Piri Piri chicken salad which was huge and highly spiced (served with rocket, super fresh heirloom tomatoes and Persian cuckes). To finish, we had flan. The flan is ridiculously good; creamy, not overly sweet and with a mildly exotic coconut milk undertone (although the hostess said that the flan maker refuses to say what is in the flan).
The Chef and staff could not have been sweeter and more attentive, plying us with spoon fulls of Hamachi and Albacore shooters and even offering to make a beer run for us (the establishment has no liquor license yet but you can bring in your own from a liquor store on the corner).
And our tab was a ridiculously low $ 50 which in these recessionary times really helps. I was surprised given Chef Soares stints at Hama, Nobu and Geisha House and the cool Portuguese hybrid idea.
Four stars and not five for the way too bright lighting and TV on the entire time, making it hard for my date to concentrate on me. ;)
Please support this restaurant once it opens for dinner. Its wonderful and deserves to succeed.

This place is amazing… it has to be some of the freshest sushi we have ever had. Even better than little Tokyo… Chef Paulo is also very friendly & the man knows what he’s doin in the kitchen.
We had the Spicy Tuna — very fresh… not overly spicy
California topped with seared tuna. OMG…Loved it…
Fisherman’s Bowl. seafood was great. the base was not my fav… but my guy loved it.
Piri-​piri — some of the best grilled chicken I’ve ever had… cooked to perfection. So moist inside & flavored very well.
We will be back…

I had the seaweed salad and it was fantastic, a colorful variety of fresh fare. The owner listed off their names in impressive connoisseur form. Not your standard limp green dyed impostors. Delicious, charming (and kid friendly approved). I have high hopes as a new restaurant, it has only scratched the surface of its potential.

Chef Paulo Soares is a Swiss army knife when it comes to cooking. He’s a world traveled and well-​seasoned culinary dream come true that you have the ability to eat at his restaurant. Anything this man creates is a mouth watering succulent delicacy. From his sushi creations, to his melt-​in-​your-​mouth meats, you can never go wrong eating anything he creates. Chef Paulo Soares has worked at some of the corner-​stone Sushi establishments like:
Oyster Bar — Martha’s Vineyard, Mason Jar — Upstate NY, Hama Sushi — Venice CA, Obachina Beverly Hills CA, Matsuhisa — Beverly Hills CA, Nobu — Malibu CA, Miyagis — West Hollywood CA, Geisha House — Hollywood CA/​Santa Ana CA/​Atlanta GA just name a few.
I have sampled his talents when I first met him at Miyagi’s on Sunset, then followed him to the Geisha House in Hollywood, and now a huge fan of his creations at Queee Sushi Station. I’ve had personal private events with him throughout the last eight years. Every time he completely surprises me, and delights my senses. I’ve never once encountered anything distasteful, tough, or a forgin consistency, everything as been better then perfect in my humble opinion. There are very few who get that status, and he is more then deserving of that title.
As I’ve told others, as you are reading this now… IF you don’t know the creative talents of Chef Paulo Soares, you need to!