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I admit I haven't eaten at every sushi place in town, but I've tried quite a few of them in the 13 months I've lived here. (Haven't gone back to a one of 'em...until now.)
More to the point, over the past 20 years I've had sushi in some of the best sushi spots in Baltimore, DC, Atlanta, Raleigh, and even San Fran and Berkeley, CA (Berkeley Sushi was DAMN good!).
I'm here to tell ya, Chef Jack at Purple can take on the best of 'em. I'm not talking mouth watering, I'm talking complex flavor explosions--I don't know how else to put it. This guy does stuff with rolls I didn't know you could do! I actually took pictures and sent them to a friend! I was blown away!
It's new, only open a few months. Find it at 933 South Main, one of those places that backs up to the ball park. They're so new their web site doesn't work yet! Ha! But here it is for future visitors: PurpleBistro.com
Guess everybody has different tastes. We had high hopes for Purple. Very, very disappointed. Unseasoned rice. Loose rolls. Everything was bland, bland. And the prices were high. It was so disappointing we'll probably never go back. I, too, have eaten great sushi in many areas, including Japan. For my money, I'm going with Tsunami or for the excellent lunch at Murasaki (haven't been for dinner). Or just about anywhere else. Isn't it odd that two people can have such different experiences?
I completely agree with Cass. I have eaten a various Sushi bars in Raleigh, Baltimore, Vegas, Atlanta, etc. After moving here 2 years ago, I have tried every sushi bar in town looking for an above average option. None was to be found before Purple opened. They were all pretty generic. Not terrible but nothing special either. And then I happened to see Purple open between Compadre's and Liberty on Main St. Chef Jack really takes pride in every single dish he creates. Do yourself a favor and order the Hako Sushi roll. Best roll I have ever eaten. You don't even need soy sauce.
*Be fore-warned, though. This is REAL sushi. There is nothing on the menu that is Americanized with mayo, cream cheese, ketchup, sprinkles, etc.
No question. BEST. SUSHI. EVER. Try this: skip ordering from the menu and tell Chef Jack your likes, dislikes, how hungry you are and watch him create a masterpiece of a meal for you. The food is incredibly fresh so it is not necessary to mix in a bunch of fattening junk like cream cheese, mayo, sauces, etc. Close your eyes while eating the homemade Mango Pie and you'll swear you're eating a fresh mango!
I truly hope these guys stick around. Sushi for real sushi lovers! Oh, and P.S., they do have a full asian menu too, I just haven't gotten past the awesome sushi to try it!
I'm intrigued by the three posts here that rave about this place, because of the many sushi options in Greenville, this place never appears to have more than one or two customers (at most) whenever I pass by - even during "peak" dining hours. Hopefully the word will get out to the rest of the local sushi lovers. Unfortunately I've never tried Purple, but would like to know what makes it better (or "more authentic") than places like Sushi Koji, Sushi Hana, Nami, Sushi Masa, and/or Azia, to name a few.
I'm intrigued by the three posts here that rave about this place, because of the many sushi options in Greenville, this place never appears to have more than one or two customers (at most) whenever I pass by - even during "peak" dining hours.
And those customers are named casstyson, GeronimoX7, and BuddyDog.
Greenville has a very long list of great sushi places and I've tried them all (eat sushi weekly). Purple, I must say, is at the bottom of that list. Poor service, average interior, average food.
For truely excellent sushi, try:
Sushi Koji (Dowtown)
Yu Raku Tei (Butler Road near 385)
Sushi Masa (Pelham Road)
Irashai (Pleasantburg)
Greenville has a very long list of great sushi places and I've tried them all (eat sushi weekly). Purple, I must say, is at the bottom of that list. Poor service, average interior, average food.
For truely excellent sushi, try:
Sushi Koji (Dowtown)
Yu Raku Tei (Butler Road near 385)
Sushi Masa (Pelham Road)
Irashai (Pleasantburg)
for some one with a poor taste, this is just your own personal opinion. In most of everyone's heart, Purple is the best Sushi restaurant in Greenville. For a two member team, I have to give them credit, they did a excellent job. The Sushi is WAY better than what you have suggested in your post. It's hard to service all when you are the only person on the floor. Perhaps you should have pick up on that. As for the food... if you are going there to order a California roll then pass judgement... then maybe you should expand your food knowledge a little bit more before leaving such statement on line!! You poor thing =P
That is a bad sign, in my opinion. They've been open long enough to have made an impression on the community, but no website?
I found a few third party sites with more information.
[url=http://greenville.metromix.com/restaurants/article/first-look-purple-international/1856100/content]First look: Purple International Bistro & Sushi | Metromix Greenville[/url]
[url=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenville-SC/Purple-International-Bistro-Sushi/138137112544]Purple International Bistro & Sushi | Facebook[/url]
[url=http://www.fansofpurple.com/]Purple International Bistro & Sushi • More than just sushi[/url]
[url=http://onefoodie.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/sashimi-lunch-at-purple-bistro/]Sashimi Lunch at Purple International Bistro « a foodie and his food[/url]
[url=http://www.yelp.com/biz/purple-international-bistro-and-sushi-greenville]Purple International Bistro & Sushi - Greenville, SC[/url]
They did had a web site, but it got attack but some stupid people so it went down. The place is under a year old
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Purple IS great!
