Wasabi

By Nina Coppolillo

Walking from the parking lot to Wasabi, I admit, I expected a chain restaurant. The building was sort of low and nondescript. However, I was surprised when I opened the doors. The restaurant was filled with live bamboo. The atmosphere was lively. To my right there was a large blue tub filled with goldfish. Emerging from the tub was the Wasabi logo covered in a layer of water. 

We were seated almost immediately. Above our table was a small peach colored light. Although I expected a fishy smell from a sushi restaurant, the air smelled clean and fresh. As we waited for our waiter, I noticed that Ke$ha music was playing very quietly; a strange choice for a sushi restaurant. Our waiter came and we asked for water. She was back almost immediately. We then opened our brown burlap menus and ordered. As I waited for my food, I looked more closely at the details of the restaurant. 

There seemed to be a sort of blue-green color scheme: green bamboo; blue carpet; green and blue fake fish swimming in the blue water behind the bar; the green Wasabi logo. The restaurant is packed with people. Although the amount of noise is plentiful, the space still seems personal and almost quiet. 

About ten minutes later, our appetizers arrived. The edamame was warm but could have been saltier. The seaweed salad was delicious: It was crunchy and not too slimy. Then the calamari came. It was served with a maraschino cherry. How is squid related to cherries? Also the plate looked like it was loaded with onion rings, not calamari. The dish was covered in grease. And most notably, it had no taste. This was a substantial disappointment. 

Ten minutes after the appetizers were delivered, out comes nigiri, (A piece of fish draped over a little mound of rice.) The tuna was a little bit too slimy. The salmon was smooth and gooey. It was the most flavorful fish of the meal. The yellowtail was like butter: smooth, rich, and almost creamy. Much to my disappointment, the eel we ordered never arrived. Lastly I tasted the sea urchin. The fish was a dark brown-black. It had a repulsive texture but a pleasing taste. 

Next, came our sushi rolls. I started by biting into a roll called, “The Bozeman”. It had a wonderful crunchy outer layer. The salmon on the inside complemented the thick cream cheese. I then tried a roll called “The Volcano.” Despite the name, this was not a very spicy experience. The inside of this roll was firm and satisfying. The “Spicy Killer” made up for the lack of heat. This roll was a volcano. Topped with jalapenos and a hot BBQ sauce, it made the inside of my mouth prickly and warm. However, this feeling left almost immediately when I took a bite of the “Mango Tango.” Covered in unique half-dried mango slices and drenched in a sweet sauce, the fish inside this roll was almost lost in the fruity sweetness. Although the fish could have been more present, the roll, overall, was outstanding. This part of the meal was a highlight. I then finished up with the sweet potato roll. It did not really match the rest of the tastes at the table. It was simple with just sweet potatoes and rice wrapped in a thin layer of nori. Not a horrible taste, but not what we had been experiencing. 

I did notice that the rolls were just a tiny bit too big. Most pieces of sushi are eaten in one or two bites. These were eaten in two or three bites. Because of the size, some of the pieces would become more of a scramble. Also, the cherries made it onto some of the sushi rolls. Again, WHAT DOES FISH HAVE TO DO WITH CHEERIES? It was also a disappointment when our eel never arrived. We almost walked out the door without ever tasting it! And what we did taste was almost always covered in just a little too much sauce. 

Besides these issues the restaurant was nice. The tables were clean and the white leather chairs were comfortable. The waitress was helpful and the food came quickly. The wait for our food seemed to go by so fast as I stared at all the interesting things to look at. From the real fish in the entry to the fake fish behind the bar, I always had something to stare at. 

I think I would recommend Wasabi. The service is fast, the atmosphere is interesting and although the sushi was not as good as some of the other sushi restaurants in town, it was still pretty tasty. Plus, if we can look past the cherries, the food looked almost as good as the restaurant.