Been to the mall? There are lots of variety of mediocre food that is over priced. Now you can be offered mediocre sushi that is over priced... or is it? The variety is not the greatest, it is sushi produced for the masses.
You can get an 8 piece California roll set for $5, you can then get a nigiri and maki combo for ten. For the combo, you would end up paying more at a sushi restaurant. Here, it does not come with miso or salad.
The cuts of fish are decent but small. You won't find any fancy displays or the tasty row that is found on most California rolls. At my last visit, the rice was great and moist.
So what are my thoughts? For mall food, its pretty good and comparably priced. When compared to other sushi joints, its worth saving your money but if you need a sushi fix, I wouldn't hesitate.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Friday, April 6, 2007
The Ongoing Chirashi Review
"You can never go wrong with the Chirashi." How true, eh? Now we will look at which one of those chirashi dinners will always bring you back for more. Over time we plan on visiting the different places to see where you can't go wrong with ordering the chirashi.
First of all, Chirashi translates into "scattered fish". It is basically a bowl or box half filled with rice and then topped up with scattered fish. It is usually the chef's choice and there is a good variety. Now lets look at all the different ones.
Minato
I would have to say that this would be more of a traditional chirashi than the others. If you are a fan of salmon and tuna, this is the place for you. There is not the great variety as you would find at other places but that is OK. You will find about five pieces of tender, melt in your mouth, salmon and typically three or four pieces of tuna. Now here is the interesting part, you will find a few other kinds of fish in smaller quantities, such as saba (mackerel), surf clam, a scallop, egg and a shrimp. It is an excellent feed and comparable to their sashimi dinners for quantity and variety. It also comes with miso and salad. I find it filling and but I will sometimes order a side of spicy avocado or unagi. For the price, at $17, you can't go wrong with this traditional chirashi.
Hamachi House
This chirashi would have to be the best bang for the buck at $14. It does come with miso and salad. When you get this box of fish it will look more like a work of art than your supper. Always a beautiful display with a large variety of sashimi with some Japanese mushrooms and, of course, some egg. The last time that I had it, there were eight kinds of fish, usually at least two pieces of each but there are the rare single piece treats. The last time it was butter fish. You will find some crab legs, saba, octopus,surf clam, red snapper, salmon, tuna and shrimp. So really, you can't go wrong with this chirashi either, especially if you are on a budget.
Milamodo
For this one, you may draw your own conclusion. It would be the cheapest chirashi that I have stumbled upon. At a mere $12 it does come with the miso soup and salad. It is a small bowl with less fish than the rest. However do not rule it out. The fish is always good and you will find all your staples in it; salmon, tuna, surf clam, saba, egg and octopus. At twelve dollars it does not break the bank at all. If you are looking to enjoy some other sushi with your chirashi you can certainly do so with a variety of nigiri, maki rolls and hand rolls. The spicy salmon skin hand rolls are especially good. Can you go wrong with this chirashi? I would have to think not, especially if you are after some of your other favorite kinds of sushi.
Shige Sushi
As I said before, you get what you pay for and at $20 (or as Alec says $25, we will resolve the price dispute shortly) you will have to bring your appetite with you. Starting with miso and salad, this is a monster feed. Variety? Hells yeah! There is so much fish that they bring you an extra plate so you can pick through a little and clear some space so you can get at the rice. There is pretty much everything you could ask for, all the staples and then some; from salmon, tuna and surf clam to all the treats like sweet shrimp, unagi and masago. You will not want to order any extras. It is a great presentation and topped to the ceiling with fish. You cannot go wrong with this chirashi, unless you are low on funds but you would probably agree that a few nights of mac and cheese would be worth it.
I Love Sushi!
This chirashi is a little different from all the rest. It costs the seemingly standard $17 and comes in the standard chirashi box. Like all the rest of the chirashis there is a lovely spread of tender melt in your mouth fish. The presentation is good and I found all the treats that I was looking for but you get about two pieces of each. There was some tender salmon and tuna. Also there was some butterfish and saba. Octopus made an appearance. There were some more tasty morsels too. What set it apart from the rest was a sprinkle of shredded ginger and Japanese mushroom all over the rice, it was nice and refreshing because you don't really feel the need to pour soy sauce all over it. This chirashi come only with miso soup but no salad. I will say that I will be returning to this restaurant for another chirashi.
Stay tuned, there will be more reviews to come!
First of all, Chirashi translates into "scattered fish". It is basically a bowl or box half filled with rice and then topped up with scattered fish. It is usually the chef's choice and there is a good variety. Now lets look at all the different ones.
Minato
I would have to say that this would be more of a traditional chirashi than the others. If you are a fan of salmon and tuna, this is the place for you. There is not the great variety as you would find at other places but that is OK. You will find about five pieces of tender, melt in your mouth, salmon and typically three or four pieces of tuna. Now here is the interesting part, you will find a few other kinds of fish in smaller quantities, such as saba (mackerel), surf clam, a scallop, egg and a shrimp. It is an excellent feed and comparable to their sashimi dinners for quantity and variety. It also comes with miso and salad. I find it filling and but I will sometimes order a side of spicy avocado or unagi. For the price, at $17, you can't go wrong with this traditional chirashi.
Hamachi House
This chirashi would have to be the best bang for the buck at $14. It does come with miso and salad. When you get this box of fish it will look more like a work of art than your supper. Always a beautiful display with a large variety of sashimi with some Japanese mushrooms and, of course, some egg. The last time that I had it, there were eight kinds of fish, usually at least two pieces of each but there are the rare single piece treats. The last time it was butter fish. You will find some crab legs, saba, octopus,surf clam, red snapper, salmon, tuna and shrimp. So really, you can't go wrong with this chirashi either, especially if you are on a budget.
Milamodo
For this one, you may draw your own conclusion. It would be the cheapest chirashi that I have stumbled upon. At a mere $12 it does come with the miso soup and salad. It is a small bowl with less fish than the rest. However do not rule it out. The fish is always good and you will find all your staples in it; salmon, tuna, surf clam, saba, egg and octopus. At twelve dollars it does not break the bank at all. If you are looking to enjoy some other sushi with your chirashi you can certainly do so with a variety of nigiri, maki rolls and hand rolls. The spicy salmon skin hand rolls are especially good. Can you go wrong with this chirashi? I would have to think not, especially if you are after some of your other favorite kinds of sushi.
Shige Sushi
As I said before, you get what you pay for and at $20 (or as Alec says $25, we will resolve the price dispute shortly) you will have to bring your appetite with you. Starting with miso and salad, this is a monster feed. Variety? Hells yeah! There is so much fish that they bring you an extra plate so you can pick through a little and clear some space so you can get at the rice. There is pretty much everything you could ask for, all the staples and then some; from salmon, tuna and surf clam to all the treats like sweet shrimp, unagi and masago. You will not want to order any extras. It is a great presentation and topped to the ceiling with fish. You cannot go wrong with this chirashi, unless you are low on funds but you would probably agree that a few nights of mac and cheese would be worth it.
I Love Sushi!
This chirashi is a little different from all the rest. It costs the seemingly standard $17 and comes in the standard chirashi box. Like all the rest of the chirashis there is a lovely spread of tender melt in your mouth fish. The presentation is good and I found all the treats that I was looking for but you get about two pieces of each. There was some tender salmon and tuna. Also there was some butterfish and saba. Octopus made an appearance. There were some more tasty morsels too. What set it apart from the rest was a sprinkle of shredded ginger and Japanese mushroom all over the rice, it was nice and refreshing because you don't really feel the need to pour soy sauce all over it. This chirashi come only with miso soup but no salad. I will say that I will be returning to this restaurant for another chirashi.
Stay tuned, there will be more reviews to come!
Hamachi House
Hamachi House is one of the best sushi joints in Halifax. It has won The Coast's Best Sushi in Halifax for the last three years in a row. It has also won many other awards. It is probably the most popular place in town. That is why it is very important to make your reservations as early as possibly, especially if there are four or more in your party.
So what makes this place so great? It is a very cozy restaurant and pleasantly decorated. When you walk in the first thing you see are the chefs behind the sushi bar working away on satisfied customer's orders. What will catch your eye is the chain of boats floating around the bar. Its too bad that they aren't laden with all you can eat sushi. In the front are tables with chairs and in the back behind the bar are tables with comfy bench seating, this area can easily be converted to seat a large group.
Now for the good part, the sushi! Hamachi is well known for its quality and presentation. Each dish is a work of art. There are decorative pieces of lemon or lime, carrots and other veggies. Sometimes it looks too good to eat, but who am I kidding? You can always eat sushi, no matter how nice it looks.
So for the maki rolls, they have a great variety of standard rolls with some exceptional specialty rolls. I recommend the Deep Sea California rolls, they are the California rolls but they are dipped in tempura and served with a wasabi mayo. Another signature roll is their spicy tuna or salmon, which have little bits of tempura that make them nice a crunchy.
The nigiri is always delicious, the cuts of sashimi are large and satisfying. One thing that they do not do is add some wasabi between the sashimi and the rice. The Unagi is always great. If you are a fan of nigiri, I must recommend trying "The Boat". It is actually served on a boat. It comes with seven pieces of nigiri, six California rolls and either a spicy tuna or salmon hand roll. Served with miso and salad, at $20 it is an exceptional meal.
For all the hardcore sushi fans, the sashimi. Always tasty, tender and fresh; never a disappointment. They have a large variety and several meal options. With two different sashimi plates and an excellent chirashi, there is always something for everyone. The sashimi dinners do not come with rice but an excellent variety of fish. Usually there is two of each and either five or seven types of fish. Now my favorite meal, the chirashi, also affectionately known as the box of fish. It is a box with rice on the bottom and a beautiful display of fish and garnish on top. There are generally seven types of fish in it and it is the chef's choice. The chef's have excellent discretion. You sometimes get a piece or two of some of the exotic fish, always a nice treat.
For all you that don't like fish in your sushi, they have a good selection of veggie sushi. The best rolls are the avocado rolls with spicy sauce and the tempura veggie roll with sweet potato. Both are very filling.
The staff is very friendly and professional. Service is generally fast but that depends on how busy it is. Hamachi has always been a good experience.
The bad parts; the only negative thing that I have to say about this place is that due to its popularity it may be a little hard to get a table during peak times, that is why it is important to call and make reservations.
One more thing, Happy Maki Hour! An hour before close most maki rolls are a dollar off, along with some of the drinks (that is if I remember correctly). I have been a few times but they were a while ago.
Hamachi is an excellent place for both the new sushi explorers and the seasoned sushi lovers. They also have a variety of teriyaki and noodle dishes too. Their tempura appetizers are definitely worth trying.
So what makes this place so great? It is a very cozy restaurant and pleasantly decorated. When you walk in the first thing you see are the chefs behind the sushi bar working away on satisfied customer's orders. What will catch your eye is the chain of boats floating around the bar. Its too bad that they aren't laden with all you can eat sushi. In the front are tables with chairs and in the back behind the bar are tables with comfy bench seating, this area can easily be converted to seat a large group.
Now for the good part, the sushi! Hamachi is well known for its quality and presentation. Each dish is a work of art. There are decorative pieces of lemon or lime, carrots and other veggies. Sometimes it looks too good to eat, but who am I kidding? You can always eat sushi, no matter how nice it looks.
So for the maki rolls, they have a great variety of standard rolls with some exceptional specialty rolls. I recommend the Deep Sea California rolls, they are the California rolls but they are dipped in tempura and served with a wasabi mayo. Another signature roll is their spicy tuna or salmon, which have little bits of tempura that make them nice a crunchy.
The nigiri is always delicious, the cuts of sashimi are large and satisfying. One thing that they do not do is add some wasabi between the sashimi and the rice. The Unagi is always great. If you are a fan of nigiri, I must recommend trying "The Boat". It is actually served on a boat. It comes with seven pieces of nigiri, six California rolls and either a spicy tuna or salmon hand roll. Served with miso and salad, at $20 it is an exceptional meal.
For all the hardcore sushi fans, the sashimi. Always tasty, tender and fresh; never a disappointment. They have a large variety and several meal options. With two different sashimi plates and an excellent chirashi, there is always something for everyone. The sashimi dinners do not come with rice but an excellent variety of fish. Usually there is two of each and either five or seven types of fish. Now my favorite meal, the chirashi, also affectionately known as the box of fish. It is a box with rice on the bottom and a beautiful display of fish and garnish on top. There are generally seven types of fish in it and it is the chef's choice. The chef's have excellent discretion. You sometimes get a piece or two of some of the exotic fish, always a nice treat.
For all you that don't like fish in your sushi, they have a good selection of veggie sushi. The best rolls are the avocado rolls with spicy sauce and the tempura veggie roll with sweet potato. Both are very filling.
The staff is very friendly and professional. Service is generally fast but that depends on how busy it is. Hamachi has always been a good experience.
The bad parts; the only negative thing that I have to say about this place is that due to its popularity it may be a little hard to get a table during peak times, that is why it is important to call and make reservations.
One more thing, Happy Maki Hour! An hour before close most maki rolls are a dollar off, along with some of the drinks (that is if I remember correctly). I have been a few times but they were a while ago.
Hamachi is an excellent place for both the new sushi explorers and the seasoned sushi lovers. They also have a variety of teriyaki and noodle dishes too. Their tempura appetizers are definitely worth trying.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Sushi Index of Halifax
Dharma Sushi
Doraku
Hamachi House
Ichiban Sushi and Noodle
I Love Sushi
Ko-Doraku
Milamodo
Minato
Momoya Restaurant
Sushi! Bento
Sushi Nami
Sushi Shige Japanese Restaurant
- 1576 Argyle Street, Halifax
- 902 425 7785
Doraku
- 1579 Dresden Row, Halifax
- 902 425 8888
- www.Doraku.ca
Hamachi House
- 5190 Morris Street
- 902 425 7711
- www.HamachiHouse.com
- Reservations recommended and call early.
- Sushi Review
- Chirashi Review
Ichiban Sushi and Noodle
- 1505 Barrington Street, Halifax
- 902 420 0194
I Love Sushi
- 5232 Blowers Street, Halifax
- 902 429 6168
- Closed Sundays
- Chirashi Review
Ko-Doraku
- 5640 Spring Garden Road, Halifax, Food court of Parklane Mall
- 902-423-8787
Milamodo
- 30 Farmham Gate Road, Clayton Park
- 902 446 6888
- www.Milamodo.com
- Closed Sundays
- Chirashi Review
Minato
- 1520 Queen Street, Halifax
- 902 420 0331
- Does not take reservations
- Closed Sundays
Momoya Restaurant
- 1671 Barrington Street, Halifax
- 902 492 0788
Sushi! Bento
- Halifax Shopping Center
- Sushi Review
Sushi Nami
- 1515 Dresden Row, Halifax, in Pete's Frootique
- 902 425 5225
Sushi Shige Japanese Restaurant
- 5680 Spring Garden Road, Halifax
- 902 422 0740
- Chirashi Review
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