Sushi Night!

Last night was Sushi Night, something of a tradition in my circle of friends. There is no set day or time for Sushi Night. Someone will just put out a call that says "Sushi Night. What time do you want to meet?" There is never any question of where. For the last several years it has been Sushi Zutto, an under appreciated gem of the north side.

One of my secret foodie dreams is to walk into a sushi bar and request omakase. Omakase is a Japanese word that translates roughly as "We are in your hands". It's a request to the chef to decide what you'll be eating that. The experience is supposed to be excellent, giving you a chance to sample the true artistry of the chef. However, I'm always a bit afraid to try. I'm too picky of an eater to just eat what ever's set in front of me. If I ever get enough nerve, I'll do it at Sushi Zutto. After so many years of coming, I think they know me well enough now to not put anything too challenging in front of me.

Last night was a fairly typical night for us. As we're regulars, they had my husband's water and my mug of green tea on the table before we even sat down. We always order from their all you can eat menu, which is a great value for only $16.95 per person. The all you can eat menu has all the standard selections from a typical Americanized sushi bar. The menu, which I've only glanced at a few times, has a few teryiaki dishes and some more adventurous selections. Unlike many all you can eat places, each order is made fresh just for you. When they are busy, the rolls ca be a bit sloppily done, but usually they are nice and firm with quality ingredients.

The crappy camera phone picture above is of a raw tuna salad they brought us to try last night. Chopped raw tuna, garnished with minced onion, garlic, fish roe and dressed with a vinegrette that tasted strongly of sesame oil. The tuna is fresh and creamy in texture. The roe pops nicely in your mouth, and the onions and garlic crunch. It's a beautiful dish.

This is a restaurant that I take sushi novices to, to introduce them to their first California rolls and sashimi slices. I also take sushi veterans there to sample... whatever that thing is that they are eating. I don't pretend to be a sushi expert by any means. I just know what I like and I like Sushi Zutto.