We arrived in Palm Desert last night, Sunday October 9, 2006 craving good sushi and wondered where we might find some. 
The lady at the Marriott timeshare we were staying at told us the nearest sushi place was at least a 10-15 minute drive away…not so as it turned out.
The Location
We discovered (by asking a different employee at the timeshare), that there was a yummy sushi restaurant just down the street! This “sushi place” is Mikado Sushi in the stunning JW Marriott Hotel. It took us awhile to find the restaurant (turns out there was an entrance right next to where we parked…) Once we did find it, we ended up entering in the back and, after walking through an unending sea of Teppan Yaki tables, we located the sushi bar. We were greeted by a very friendly hostess who offered to show us to our seats, with a smile.
The Atmosphere
The atmosphere leading up to Mikados was very pleasant, as the JW Marriott is truly a lovely and elegant hotel. There were coi ponds (inside and outside), great outdoor and indoor lighting and the aroma of yummy food. The atmosphere inside was also very pleasant, and, had an upscale air to it. The sushi bar itself seemed pretty clean. There were Japanese style plants everywhere, amidst well-placed waterfalls. There were no inspiring views out the windows, but, the interior was very nice.
The Service
The friendly hostess was a great start to our dining experience. Once at the sushi bar, we were greeted by the sushi chef. A friendly waitress then approached, bringing us chopsticks and offering drinks. We both opted for ice water and my husband opted for green tea. The sushi chef then turned to us and presented our sushi plates, complete with wasabi and ginger. Aside from the slightly dirty water glass (I’m super picky) I was served with (this was replaced immediately and with apologies), the service was really great. The usual response of our waitress to anything was “absolutely” or “right away”. She really made us feel welcome and well taken care of.
The Food
Shortly after the waitress arrived with our ice waters, and two green teas, we placed our order with the chef. Being a roll gal myself, I opted for the shrimp tempura roll and the philadelphia roll, which I split with my husband. Though it took a little while to get them, both were fresh and delicious. We then finished off the meal with a yellow tail handroll, again, fresh and yummy. Prior to enjoying our sushi, we had a house salad with ginger dressing – one of my favorites. We topped off the meal with, what else, green tea ice cream. This was served with 2 rolled cookies. It was delicious, and, the perfect way to end a light and enjoyable meal of sushi.
We consider ourselves sushi buffs. That said, we would definitely eat here again. The service was good, the food was good, the atmosphere was great, and the prices were reasonable.