Restaurant Review: Nagoya Sushi

Eruption Roll

There's a reason why Nagoya Sushi is my favorite place - because it is just so good! From the moment you step in the restaurant, you will be greeted by the cozy ambience and warm faces. The decorations are beautiful, the sushi bar well lit and showcasing their fresh ingredients,and the itemais (sushi chefs) seem to be very experienced.

Harumaki

The waitress served us complimentary Harumaki (Japanese Spring Rolls). This was a very nice gesture, perhaps its because we ordered many special rolls, including a roll called "Five Types of Innovative Sushi" - a dish that would demonstrate the chef's artistic skills. It was beautiful, and the presentation alone was worth ordering. It was served on a long plate separated into five sections, each section featuring a different fish with a different style and arrangement. Each was unique, both in flavor and looks.

This dish pushed me out of my comfort zone, as it paired fish with an ingredient that you would never think to put together. For example, one of them featured Yellowfin Tuna with julienned red onions. Who would have thought? But it was delicious, and very unexpected.

Five Types of Innovative Sushi

We also ordered the Eruption Roll, a warm sushi which had conch, cucumber, and a bed of spicy baked scallops on top. The server warned us of its spiciness, but we like a little bit of heat. We expected an immediate tongue-scorching sensation, rather it was a subtle heat that kicked in a couple of seconds after you swallow. It was a good roll, but not a roll you would want to start with as you want a clean palate to enjoy the rest of your meal.

I also had my favorite - the Volcano Roll. No visit to Nagoya would be complete without this. It had spicy tuna, asparagus, hot sauce and tempura flakes. There is a hint of sweetness to it. But the best part is the tempura flakes - those crispy, crunchy accoutrements that make the texture of the sushi so different. It was just so good paired with the sauce that you would want to savor every morsel of it. In fact, it is so good that after finishing the rolls, I try to scrape the plate to get every last one. (Can I have an order of tempura flakes with this sauce to go, please?)

Volcano Roll, Dragon Roll, Salmon Sashimi

I also ordered the Dragon Roll, which had eel, cucumber, cream cheese, avocado, caviar, and eel sauce. The eel was so tender, in fact had I not known it, I wouldn't have thought that it was eel. And their sauce was so excellent and complements the sushi very well.
And of course, even though it is not the Japanese custom to eat the sashimi last, I had it at the end of my meal, as I want it to be the last taste in my mouth. We ordered Toro (tuna belly) and Salmon (but of course!). As is my usual experience with Nagoya, the sashimi was great, with the perfect marbling of fat and pleasant texture. I bit it ever so delicately and chewed it slowly, enjoying every last delicious moment (knowing that this signifies the end of my exquisite meal).

Toro

Nagoya is like a hidden jewel to us. A small, intimate place that once discovered has all these wonderful things waiting. Itadakimasu! (Let's eat!)

***Note: Sorry for the poor image quality - phone cam. :-(