Nozomi

It's very cute inside.

Lovely tomato?  Is it made with fish??

Tasty miso soup.

Rice cake yakitori -- it's a good idea!  Just needs better sauce.
This sauce was not delicious.
I think it would be good with just a little soy sauce and sugar.

They have a LOT of different rolls including something called the "Bill Gates Roll".
Does it use money instead of nori?

Okonomiyaki -- just kind of sad.

Miso salmon -- it sizzled excitingly as it came to the table, and we liked that it had a lot of vegetables, but the seasoning was kind of blah and the salmon was overcooked.

The rice was cooked well, but tasted of nothing.

Rating: Two thumbs down
Date: 1/19/13
Time in: 11:15 AM
Servers' recommendations: Miso salmon a la carte 
What we ordered:  Miso salmon a la carte, rice cake yakitori, okonomiyaki
Number in our party: 2
Final check amount: I forgot to write it down, but according to my bank statement, I paid $19.62 (including tip, and I tend to pay at least 20%)
Notes: 

• The inside was very cute and carefully decorated, but even then, it doesn't quite have x-factor.
  
• Everything was a tad on the expensive side, $1 or 2 more than we'd expect it to be.
• The server was friendly and gave us one concrete recommendation.  We liked that, especially because the menu was very lengthy.
• The miso soup was good.  It tasted like they actually made it.
• The salmon was okay -- the thick fatty parts were pretty tasty, but the thinner half was dry and overcooked.
  
• As Jenne said in the captions, the mochi dish would have been good if they had used a different sauce.  This one tasted like an overseasoned spicy ketchup.
• The okonomiyaki was gigantic.  Anything tastes good with tonkatsu sauce and mayonnaise drizzled on it, but the pancake itself was gummy and chewy, and the bonito flakes on top tasted stale.
• Jenne would disagree, but I'd rather go to Nozomi than Chopstix.  But that ain't saying much. 
• Nozomi is kind of like a Japanese version of Ranchos in North Park.  Plants outside, lots of vegetarian options, and food that doesn't taste very good.    

RESTAURANT INFORMATION 
Address: 4637 Convoy St, Ste 104
Phone number: 858.569.7773
Website: http://nozomisushiandteriyaki.menutoeat.com 
Accepts credit cards? Yes
Parking: Shared lot that's big for Convoy. It has spaces during the day, but hardly any at dinnertime.
Ideal group size: 1-6
Available vegetarian options: Very pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan-friendly, with a menu specifically for them. More sushi roll options for vegetarians than other sushi spots.
Noise level: 3 with no one in the restaurant -- the music was loud, especially for an early lunch.