Just north of the trolley tracks in historic Ybor City is a charming bungalow. It has all the architectural details to brand its 1901 origin, including brick pillars and lots of double-hung windows. It’s here that owners Cristina and Sergio Chanquin created their Sushi House after 15 years of serving Japanese food spawned from kazoku sushi, a mobile “live sushi bar” making delectable fish-bites-to-order at hospitals and corporate functions.
The house is designed to cater to new sushi eaters and introduce them to the wonders of this Japanese staple. The interior, which is made up almost entirely of beadboard on the walls and ceiling, is starkly and simply white; the windows unadorned. The decor mirrors the minimalist design elements for which Japan is so noted.
The island is also known for miso soup. Sushi House’s version features a satisfying fish broth dotted with a few small tofu cubes, a couple of scallion rings and two bits of seaweed. It’s standard issue, but enjoyable.
Tuna tataki is beautifully plated. Lightly seared tuna is trimmed to resemble leaves surrounding a spiral of fish that mimics a rosebud. The sweet ponzu sauce adds a nice acidic punch, but the tuna is drowning. We give it a shake with our chopsticks to let the sauce drain; this is, after all, about great fish. Keep the ponzu as an accent like the scallions, shredded red cabbage and black-and-white sesame seeds.
The sunomono salad presents bright, thinly shredded carrots in a martini glass topped with sliced cucumber crescents and finely julienned crab, marinated in sweet vinegar with roe. As with the tuna, a lighter hand could be used with the vinegar so that the crab and cucumber don’t have to compete. It’s a nice, light, refreshing combo, but you want to highlight the crab.
There’s a wide selection of sushi rolls, both cooked and raw. Alas, the hyped Ybor Cali roll, which honors the Cuban community with pork, plantains, guava paste and crab has slipped off the menu. We opt to try the JB Tempura with salmon, lush cream cheese and avocado inside crisp tempura. It’s topped with spicy mayo, kabayaki sauce (a sweet-and-sour soy made by balancing rice wine with sugar) and chopped scallions for some edge. My slightly sushi-phobic companion is quite happy.
The spicy tuna is served uramaki-style with rice outside the nori wrapper holding fish, cucumber and avocado. A few sesame seeds dot the roll. The translucent pink ginger is particularly fresh and flavorful, whether you use it as an accent with some fiery wasabi or as a palate cleanser.
The orange roe on the crest of the Screamer roll resemble tiny precious gems. They sparkle atop thin, ripe slices of creamy avocado, caressing the rice that envelops chunks of spicy crab and tuna with crisp cucumber. Ample drizzles of Sriracha test your palate’s asbestos level. The juxtaposition of cooling avocado with the peppery sauce makes for a culinary treat.
The nigiri is also terrific. The chefs have mastered the art of shaping rice with enough pressure so that it holds together to support the fish, but is loose and airy when you take a bite, allowing the elements to combine perfectly. I always eat nigiri with my fingers, since if the rice is properly packed it’s too loose to use chopsticks. Everything is designed to highlight the fish, which is why you want to go easy on the soy and wasabi. If you sit at the bar, never add wasabi to your soy sauce; the sushi chef should deliver each piece perfectly seasoned and will save the best pristine, delicate fish for you.
We order a platter of yummy nigiri — octopus, squid, tender scallop, sweet shrimp, escolar and eel. I heartily recommend eel. Many folks conjure something gross and slimy when they hear eel and skip this most delicious taste. Plus, the restaurant’s sweet shrimp is served with the heads fried and crispy. They stare back at you from a base of sticky rice, yet they’re crunchy and delectable.
The tempura desserts are light and seductive. If you like warm banana, there’s texture from the tempura batter that’s not a bit greasy. Four large fruit pieces are soft and sweet, drizzled with chocolate, and accompanied by vanilla ice cream and plenty of whipped cream. A small, round cheesecake comes creamy, with distinct lemony notes, and coated in crispy fried batter with chocolate drizzle and a fresh
strawberry garnish.
Unfortunately, the restaurant is not yet able to offer beer, wine or sake. So, until then, you’re limited to Coca-Cola products, sweet tea or water with lemon that the servers are most conscientious about refilling.
But most of all, as the house’s motto says, it’s “fresh everyday; that’s how we roll.”
Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system.
This article appears in Apr 7-13, 2016.