NBD vs BD

On Friday, I stopped at ND Sushi near College St and Brunswick. From the outside, it looked like your typical cheap sushi place. But looking over the menu, especially the chalkboard specialties like natto and salmon collar suggested that ND is aiming a little higher.
I ordered the Agedashi Tofu ($6) and a Lunch Tray ($16). The tofu came out freshly fried, sitting in a tempura-esque dipping sauce, and topped with seaweed and bonito flakes. I liked that the outer shell was thicker and crunchier than is typical. It made a nice contrast to the soft inside.

The tray comprised of pieces of spicy salmon maki, dynamite roll, yam tempura, and 2 salmon nigiri with miso soup and salad. ND used better ingredients. For example, they touted using Koshihikari rice. The salmon nigiri piece was thick and juicy. But the fine details weren't top-notch. The main problem was the rice was just slightly under-cooked resulting in a grittier bite. The shrimp tempura inside the dynamite roll was a tad soggy.

Unlike the similarly sized Shozan Room (for the street-level space), ND Sushi wasn't an unreserved recommend for me due to these missteps. I liked the quality ingredients but with the higher price, I expected better execution. So I'm on the fence about making it a regular spot.