Sushi - The Hungry Nomad

Gourmand, Japanese, Organic, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sushi-heaven at Shizen Ya (Vancouver, Canada)

April 15, 2014 1 Comment

Shizen Ya is one of the best sushi spots in Vancouver with two convenient locations. One on Hornby street directly across from the courthouse making it a great lunch destination. If you are a health-conscious eater searching for vegetarian, organic and vegan eateries then you will absolutely fall head over heels for Shizen Ya. The quality of the food is quite possibly one of the highest I have tasted and is definitely above many other downtown sushi locations. There is no doubt that all ingredients down to the brown rice and wasabi are organic. Given that it is all organic it tends to be a little pricier than other sushi spots but then again you are paying a bit extra for the quality. Each plate of food that was brought to our table reinforced the passion and dedication that goes into their ingredients and preparation making Shizen Ya one of my favorite sushi spots in town. Definitely a tiny gem downtown that should be visited by all (if you can find room in the tiny eater).

We started off with the organic wild rice and tofu salad with quinoa. I have never tasting anything so fresh and flavorful as this salad.

An order of salmon sashimi.

and brown rice shrimp tempura and avocado roll.

Asian, Food, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Blogs, Sushi

Lunch at Zama (Philadelphia, USA)

September 22, 2013 No Comments

Now that Restaurant Week is upon us, all of my friends are dying to check out some of the many restaurants in the city. While my schedule is already pretty booked up for the next week, I kicked off this past week at Zama. Since there are so many sushi places in Philly, each new one I want to try really has to stand out in order to leave an impression.

One of the first things I noticed when I walked into the restaurant was that, unlike so many of the other sushi places in Philly, Zama doesn’t have that sterile, mod feel with white walls and chairs. Although it may seem less hip than some other restaurants, the atmosphere was much more warm and inviting.

Even if I feel like I’ve been going out for sushi a lot these past few weeks, I excitedly reread the options for the Restaurant Week menu and quickly decided to opt for the Sashimi Lunch Set which included several courses for lunch.

The first thing to come out was Edamame, and was soon followed by Udon Noodle Soup. After the soup came out, I waited a few minutes before starting since I could see the steam rolling off of it. This turned out to be a bad decision, because by the time I picked up my chopsticks to attack the tempura shrimp and vegetables, they were so soggy that the breading fell right off.

I’m not quite sure what the point of putting crispy tempura into hot soup is, but I wasn’t all that impressed. That being said, not all of my shrimp was submerged in the soup, and the crispy tempura that I did try was very satisfying. It had a nice crunch to it, but I could still taste the fresh shrimp inside. Before I even had time to finish my soup, my entree came out with a side House Salad.The salad was a bit overdressed for my taste, but I tend to be a minimalist when it comes to salad dressing, and my friends thought it was fine.

What I was even more excited to try was the Mixed Sashimi and Tuna Maki Roll that I had ordered. The sashimi was fantastic, and I was especially drawn to the salmon slices as I thought they were the most flavorful. I was, however, not crazy about my maki roll. The tuna was great, and I particularly enjoyed the spicy mayo inside the roll, but the rice way too hard.

After we finished our lunch, we still had dessert left. At this point, I wasn’t expecting to be blown away, but this turned out to be my favorite course. Our table ended up ordering the Chocolate Bread Pudding and Green Tea Mochi. While it wasn’t the prettiest dessert, the bread pudding was delicious and a great, sweet end to a meal. Although I preferred that dessert, the mochi was also phenomenal and was a lighter way to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Even though I left Zama full, I don’t think that I’ll be back for the sushi. I’ve been to a number of better sushi restaurants in the city and besides dessert nothing really jumped out at me and convinced me that I should come back. While I went into my lunch hoping for something that would wow me, I ultimately left Zama unsatisfied. Next up for Restaurant Week is FARMiCia, the only restaurant I could find on the list of participating places that offers up vegan options for every course.

Asian, Food, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Blogs, Sushi, USA

Happy Hour at Yakitori Boy (Philadelphia, USA)

September 7, 2013 No Comments

As some of you probably know by now, I love sushi. It’s the one food that I can never get enough of, and I’m constantly excited about the possibilities it offers up to people. So, when I heard about the Luau Happy Hour event that Yakitori Boy was throwing the other week, my friend, Betty, and I jumped at the chance to go. The opportunity to try some of their food, in addition to getting to sing karaoke there was something I couldn’t say no to.

The event consisted of drinks, hot appetizers, and an array of sushi that all made me drool as I watched them go by on trays held by waiters wearing leis. One of the drinks that I tried that evening was their Cucumber Martini. It was easily one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had and was great for a hot summer night since it was so crisp and refreshing. If I hadn’t already tried a few other drinks at the bar, I probably would have gotten a second one.

Although the drinks definitely impressed me, I’m always more interested in the food anywhere I go. Luckily, Yakitori Boy made an impression with that as well. We had the opportunity to try a handful of their hot appetizers including the Gyoza, Shrimp Tempura, Pork Sausage, and Chicken Meatballs. The Gyoza Dumplings were crunchy on the outside, but had a lot of tender meat on the inside. I definitely grabbed at least one every time the waiter walked by and by the end of the evening, I’m sure he knew they were my favorite.

While I loved the hot appetizers, I couldn’t leave without trying some of their sushi. The roll that made the biggest impact on my opinion of this restaurant was the California Roll. California Rolls are usually the last thing I want to get at any sushi restaurant, but this roll at Yakitori Boy has changed my mind. The roll was surprising because it didn’t taste like the boring, bland California Rolls I usually try, but rather included very fresh ingredients that showed me how a simple roll can still be sensational.

Yakitori Boy is definitely going on my list as one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Philly after this experience. In addition to having quality food, the atmosphere is a lot of fun and the people are friendly. They also run tons of great specials from Sunday to Thursday that are great for my college budget. I imagine I’ll be going back to Yakitori Boy soon, even if it is just to grab another one of those Cucumber Martinis and sing some karaoke.

Asian, Food, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Blogs, Seafood, Sushi

Philly’s Best Sushi Restaurants (Philadelphia, USA)

July 14, 2013 1 Comment

People who know me are well aware of the fact that if I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life it would be sushi. When I was recently in London, I ate sushi three days in a row because I hadn’t had any since I had left for Spain in January. While I loved that sushi was so popular in London, I missed some of my favorite sushi places in Philadelphia. Since I have tried so many places out, I thought I’d share my list of the top places to get sushi in the city.

1. Fat Salmon

Whenever I go out for sushi, at least one of my rolls has to have some salmon in it, and I can’t imagine a better place to get salmon than a restaurant that is named after the fish. My friends and I tried this restaurant out this past winter, and we all loved it. I ordered the Spicy Tuna Crunch Roll, the Philly Roll, and a serving of the Salmon Sashimi. Philly rolls are one of my favorites; I loved the roll here because it came with the traditional smoked salmon and cream cheese, but also had asparagus in it which added a new element to it.

The interior is like many other sushi places in the city: small with a modern look to it. Since it is so small I would suggest making reservations or coming early. Either way, I think this restaurant serves up some really good sushi at a reasonable price and I imagine I will be returning sometime soon.

2. Vic Sushi Bar

I have been to Vic Sushi Bar once before and I know that Tala has also given this place a positive review. If you’re in the Rittenhouse area, this is the place to go. I especially like this restaurant because the menu consists of mainly sushi and sashimi, whereas many other restaurants try to cater to people who are not fans of sushi. The fish is really fresh and the sushi is fun and inventive.

When I went, I ordered the Sansom Roll, which I thought was appropriate seeing as my friends and I were right on Sansom street. This roll consisted of shrimp tempura, crab stick, and avocado, and was topped with a number of things, including salmon and eel sauce. I would definitely order it again, but since there are so many neat rolls on the menu, it will probably be awhile before I manage to do so.

3. Pod

Pod, a restaurant opened by Stephen Starr, is certainly one of the larger sushi restaurants in Philly. The modern atmosphere draws in the young, hip crowds that like to hang out in the University City area. This modern atmosphere is reinforced by martinis with names like Blue and Orange. However, the menu is extensive and there is much more than just sushi on it. When I went, I got the Rainbow Roll and the Calamari Salad.

The Rainbow Roll was very good and I loved the Calamari Salad with its lemongrass dressing. Oftentimes, I get two rolls when I go out for sushi, but I feel so full afterwards, so the light calamari salad was a nice way to help fill me up without making me feel stuffed. It may not be the first sushi place that I think of when I want to get some, especially since it’s on the pricier end of sushi in Philly, but it is a nice place to check out if you’re in the area.

4. Umai Umai

This restaurant is another winner in the Philadelphia area. While it is a pricier restaurant like Pod, this place is BYOB and has some amazing sushi. Located in the Fairmount area, this tiny restaurant has a strong following of customers. I was brought here by a friend, and the two rolls that I heard consistently mentioned by people who had eaten here were the Traffic Light Roll and the Godzilla Roll. I only ordered the latter of the two when I went, but it was one of the best rolls I’ve ever had. I’ve never come across another roll like it as the Godzilla Roll included shrimp tempura, eel, avocado, honey and, most shockingly, strawberry. This has been one of the most creative rolls I’ve ever had, and I can’t wait to go back and try the Traffic Light Roll!

Out of the sushi restaurants I have tried in Philadelphia, these four places are the best. Sushi is one of my favorite foods, and I’m always looking to try out new places and new rolls. I’m sure there are dozens of others out there waiting to be discovered, and I can’t wait to try them!

New Orleans, Sushi, USA

Sushi at Chiba (New Orleans, USA)

April 15, 2012 No Comments

A new sushi restaurant in New Orleans? This I must try. So far I have not been impressed with the New Orleans sushi scene. Most sushi joints serve sushi rolls covered in various sauce, many deep fried, and really not healthy at all. So you can understand how excited I was to try out Chiba hoping that it would resemble more of what sushi should be about: fresh fish preferably not drowning in sauce. This is a sushi spot for true sushi lovers. In fact I quickly learned that the restaurant prides itself on serving less common fish and no Americanized sushi rolls (which means no crispy/fried sushi)! Great if you are looking for a healthier meal.

Chiba is a beautiful modern, clean and roomy restaurant located on Oak street. I love everything on this vibrant and eclectic street, Chiba is a great new addition. We ordered several sushi dishes and loved each one. The perfect amount of rice on each roll (not too much) and fresh fish. Delicious! Being from Vancouver its hard to rate this as the best sushi I’ve ever had but I can easily say that it is the best sushi I have ever had…in New Orleans.