I really love this over-accommodating sign we saw at
Sushi Bar Rashai the other night. Perhaps it’s no surprise that a restaurant that tags itself as “Delicious! Nutritious! Bit slow but friendly!” would pin something like this to its walls.

The mixture of hyper-colour clip art and extreme politeness is what amuses me most: the lollipop-bright “Please don’t hesitate to ask!!” header followed by all these suggestions (“No sauce or more sauce” in a garish starburst, “Bring foods slowly” in a psychedelic speech bubble or “I’m in a hurry” in a grumpy-looking ribbon.

If I had to come up with a little sign that summed up my feelings for the place, it would be an oversized plate, gradient-filled with enthusiastically mismatched colours, and it would simply declare my obsession with the dressing in Sushi Bar Rashai’s Cha Soba Salad ($8.80). There would be at least two exclamation marks involved (!!).

On the topic of cute Japanese signs, the last time we were at Menya, the unavailable items on their menu were simply plastered with a “I’m on holiday” sign. That skiving ramen better be all rested by the time we go back.

Sushi Bar Rashai, 241 Parramatta Road, Annandale NSW 2038 (02) 9560 3007, www.lintaclub.com/rashai