Thar she blows!

by guest blogger Emily Trostle
 
Tuna & Salmon Sashimi at Kira; photo by Emily TrostleSushi! The term brings glee and delight to me but can be very intimidating to others. I’ve created a short guide of terms, sushi etiquette and restaurant suggestions for those interested in taking the dive (pun intended).
 
My first suggestion is to find a friend or family member who is a sushi enthusiast and go out with them. They’ll know the places and the dishes that will give you a good sushi first impression. Here is a list and quick synopsis of area restaurants:
 
Kira – This is our favorite sushi restaurant. It’s close to us (Souderton), very modestly priced and good. It’s BYO so the boys bring their beer and I bring my wine and we make a night of it. Definitely take a sushi-loving friend because they’ll really appreciate it. From what I understand, Thursdays are all-you-can-eat-sushi for about $22. The general consensus was that their sushi is better than Ooka’s (and cheaper).

Sashimi, Sushi & Maki from Kira; photo by Emily Trostle
 

Ooka – This is a great place for a first timer. It’s not intimidating and a more familiar atmosphere to the average diner. The downside is it’s expensive; probably the most expensive of the restaurants in this list. Their sushi is certainly good but there’s a lot of unnecessary flare. Their sake sangria is to die for though (Editor’s note: I’ve also heard the sake martini is very good.) Locations in Doylestown, Willow Grove, and Montgomeryville.
 
Oishi – Located in Newtown, this place took forever to find but was quite delicious. I went with a friend so we split the “couples platter.” This is a great way to sample a lot of different pieces and keep the price modest. Only downside; this place was extremely busy. We went on a Thursday and had to wait half an hour for a table. Worth it? Yes! But perhaps we’ll make reservations next time.
 
Sakura – This is a relatively new place located in an overhauled Taco Bell on Street Road in Bensalem. Relative to Kira, Ooka, and Oishi, Sakura has the best sushi at the best price. They have a ‘select’ menu that offers regular menu items at up to $3 off. Pleasant atmosphere and high, high quality fish make this top of my list. Unfortunately, it’s a forty five minute drive for us so it’ll have to remain a special occasion destination. Darn!
 
Madam Butterfly – I have yet to dine here but have heard only great things and look forward to making it a food conquest someday. Beware though; I think it’s rather pricey. If you’re new to sushi, you probably won’t want to dish out top dollar. On State St. in Doylestown.
 
All of these restaurants, as do most, offer vegetarian and cooked sushi options.
 
Quick List of Important Terms:

  • Maki/Make – this is the stuff that comes in a roll; fish and veggies on the inside, rice and seaweed outside
  • Sushi – Sushi is actually the large chunk of fish over rice with rice vinegar, often with a touch of wasabi
  • Sashimi – This is sliced raw fish, often served with a bowl of rice
  • Wasabi – Japanese Horseradish
  • Nori – flat, dried seaweed used to wrap rice and rolls. Very nutritional!
  • Ginger – eaten to cleanse the palate in between bites. Also great for digestion in general.

Sushi Etiquette:

  • If you cannot get your chop sticks to work, use your fingers. It may feel awkward at first but it does make for fun dinning. Never use a fork.
  • If you are eating sushi, it’s more acceptable to turn the piece upside down and dip the fish, not the rice, into your soy sauce.
  • Drink your Miso Soup, often served before sushi, right from the bowl.
  • Each piece of Make, Sushi, or Sashimi must be eaten in one bite.

Kira Japanese Restaurant
741 Route 113
Souderton, PA 18964
(215) 721-6998
 
Ooka
110 Veterans Lane
Doylestown, PA 18901
(215) 348-8185
 
Oishi
2817 S. Eagle Rd
Newtown, PA 18940
(215) 860-5511
 
Sakura
1973 Street Rd
Bensalem, PA 19020
(215) 639-9988

Sakura on Urbanspoon

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8 COMMENTS

  1. Love Oishi – For directions, I tell people it’s next to Pier One – you can see that from the road

  2. Emily thanks for the great post and for pointing out some fantastic eateries around Bucks.

    One sushi restaurant that is missing from your list is Concerto Fusion in Morrisville. Concerto is in my humble opinion the best place for sushi in Bucks, not to mention the restaurant itself is in a category of its own. The atmosphere inside the place is so unique!

    If you haven’t been there and you love sushi or asian fusion cuisine I would recommend you rearrange your to-do list!

  3. Another great spot worth trying is Ming’s in Langhorne. Their prices are the lowest I’ve seen in the area and the food is great! They serve sushi but also authentic Chinese food. Try it !

  4. As a follow on to this excellent post regarding sushi, there is a new fishmonger in town. Bucks County Seafood Co is located on Rte #313 in the heart of Dublin. My wife & I tried several of their homeade soup/ chowder selections; all were very good & there is a broad, not big, selection of fresh seafood. Since they just opened, I believe the owner is waiting to see what the public likes, seafood obviously can’t sit on the shelves for long. Anyway, to my point, this last Saturday afternoon, we purchased a wonderful tuna steak & a salmon steak, they had 3 types to choose from in the salmon,
    returned home, mixed some wasabi, had the ginger on hand and treated ourselves to some of the freshes, best tasting sashimi we have had in a while. While its hard to stay local with seafood, this is a chance to try a local fishmongers excellent products and provides the means to experiment in your own home cooking, raw or cooked. I don’t know if they have a website, but the store, the old Rita’s Water Ice is open 7 days a week.

  5. Sushi House in Morrisville pa, 19067 It’s on Trenton ave across from McDonald Sunday 3 to 9 all you can eat for 19.95 it’s the best! a must go.

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