Hidden Gems at Sushi Restaurants

Beyond Sushi

It’s no secret that sushi restaurants can serve as either the deliverer of your late night, lazy snack with a California roll, or can serve as the height of luxury with truffle ponzu gilded in golden leaf. Both kinds of sushi restaurants have recently surged in metropolitan areas, becoming a hotspot for all things hip and satisfying at the same time. However, there's more than meets the eye at these restaurants and it is not something for the culinary adventurer to overlook. In this article, I discuss the two broad categories of hidden gems you should make a part of your next sushi restaurant endeavor.

1. Meat Options

While you may not expect

many meat options at a sushi restaurant besides the occasional chicken skewer on the children's menu, finding a sushi restaurant that does contain these is worth the search. You may have heard of Japanese barbecue which very well can stand on its own but the magic in finding these items at specifically sushi restaurants is that they are more likely to include those spicy, rich, umami, complex flavors that is a staple of sushi restaurants. Tebaski, or chicken wings, is one fine example of this at O-Ku Nashville, a modern and hip, sushi restaurant. O-Ku’s tebaski comes in the form of single-boned chicken wings either featuring a Belle Meade (a locally brewed bourbon) gochujang barbecue sauce or honey garlic sauce. I truthfully have never had more enjoyable wings with the Belle Meade Gochujang sauce and it comes to no surprise that it is the result of an

innovative sushi restaurant.

Along with that, more and more sushi restaurants feature Japanese Wagyu as a main dish which is not one to skip. These restaurants breed new and inventive ways that steak can be served, typically accompanied with a Japanese pepper blend or a light but invigorating miso steak sauce. All in all, the next time you attend a sushi restaurant with these wood-fired, smoked options, do not shy away from them or think they will be any less but prepared to perfection.

2. Sashimi

Sashimi is the classic, artful presentation of raw fish without the rice that can weigh down the delicate nature of a raw fish. While sashimi can come in all fish and crustaceans, the most popular of the bunch are your typical salmon, tuna (hamachi or ahi), and yellowtail. To the untrained culinary eye, these fish may seem forgettable in their raw form, but once experimented with, you realize all the different nuances between the breeds. These raw fish, although served without rice, can be elevated with the addition of an acidic ponzu, a fleck of black salt, and cilantro. Though this sounds simple, it will give you the same satisfaction as sushi, if not more.

One delicious example of sashimi I recently enjoyed was at Noko in the East village of Nashville. Noko was a perfect example of what there is in Japanese cuisine beyond sushi, generally serving as a sushi restaurant but without the sushi. Here is where I ordered their salmon carpaccio as my first dish of the night that featured thinly sliced salmon with a ponzu, sweet drop peppers, and pickled wasabi. This sweet, and sour combination of accents in the carpaccio perfectly encompasses what is special about simple, fresh ingredients that make a raw slice of fish all the better. Overall, sashimi can be seen as the amuse bouche to start off the meal at a sushi restaurant that stirs up your palate while awaiting all of the overly complex sushi you're about to enjoy.

What's best to keep in mind at a sushi restaurant, is that not all are created equal. Some should have you order 20 rolls whereas others you'll order 5 rounds of sashimi, followed by a few rolls, and then finished off with a big order of tebaski. No matter what, do not be afraid to venture outside of your comfort zone and try ordering a few salmon or tuna sashimis and a shareable Japanese wagyu ribeye at the next sushi restaurant you attend.