Sushi in Alabama
My boyfriend and I will be staying in the college town of Tuscaloosa, AL for about a week this July. He's NEVER had sushi and seems genuinely afraid of my assertions that I will MAKE him eat sushi. We've decided that our trip is just as good a time as any for him to wake up and eat that delicious thing called raw fish. The problem is that I've gone to some pretty crappy sushi places. Even here in Los Angeles you can pay a pretty penny for less than stellar Japanese food. Does anyone know of a sushi place in Bama that serves quality sushi for a reasonable price? I'd hate it if he disliked the stuff just because his first experience with it was bad.
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6 Comments:
Pumpkin dont try sushi in alabama! But if you feel you must there is only one place that at least wont make you spend a week with brother John. You would have to drive to Madison, and go to Edo's on madison boulevard. The sushi isnt bad and they dont raise an eyebrow if he decides to order something besides sushi. Please though stay away from sashimi. (raw fish) Unless you're near the coast its probably a good idea to skip it anywhere.
huneybumper at 7:44AM on 06/09/08
and by the way Pumpkin, since you'll be tuscaloosa you might want to try Dreamland BBQ, I hear the flag store in Tuscaloosa is very good.
huneybumper at 8:55AM on 06/09/08
Having lived in Tuscaloosa for almost 6 years and having bar tended at the best sushi restaurant in the city (no longer, however), I can clearly recommend Hokkaido on 15th street (across from McDonald's). Riza (pronounced 'Ray-zah') is an awesome sushi chef who has worked all over the world, even as private chef for a prince of Dubai. His culinary view of sushi is unsurpassed in its simplicity. His own sushi vinegar recipe is AMAZING, as is his own brew of Ponzu sauce. Make sure you try the Tuna Tataki (seared tuna, easy for a first timer) and the Deep Fried Spicy Tuna roll.
Also, don't listen to huneybumper. The fish is delivered fresh every other day at Hokkaido. The whole "near the coast" thing is untrue, because, well, there are no salmon, tuna, yellowtail (most of the common sushi fishes) anywhere near the Gulf. Sushi is just as safe to eat in Alabama as it is in New York.
chefimpostor at 2:08PM on 06/09/08
I'll agree with chefimpostor about the "freshness" thing. Our favorite sushi bar in San Francisco gets virtually all of their fish from Japan, shipped daily. It's got nothing to do with being on the pacific coast; they could just as easily be in Denver and getting the shipments. I do argue, though, that one should skips Sundays and perhaps Mondays as shipments don't normally happen on those days. (Our favorite spot serves only cooked food on Sunday night and is closed on Monday.)
ccbweb at 4:41PM on 06/09/08
OK.
i don't know much about T-town, but i live in Montgomery, and if you're willing to drive, there's a couple decent places.
1. Ichiban--pretty cheap, toned down place off Eastern Boulevard.
2. Kabuki--more expensive, but better sushi, too. Located on Vaughn Road.
If your boyfriend hasn't ever had sushi, i'd advise Ichiban, as they've got a lot of "cooked" stuff, so there's less concern about the rawness factor.
rasellers0 at 10:36PM on 06/09/08
go to dreamland. you won't regret it. I swear!! As for sushi, I dunno- everytime I pass through I make a beeline for Dreamland. Jealous sigh.
sbelle at 11:00PM on 06/10/08