Sushi Nights

Maggie Books
December 10 2007

I love sushi. It’s my one trendy habit and I believe that the best days usually involve a couple of sushi rolls and a bowl of edamame. Charleston is home to some great sushi bars. Here’s where I’m eating, and where I’m not.

If you’re in the Mount Pleasant area, check out Tsunami, one of the hipper environments that I tend to venture into. The atmosphere is festive and dark with ESPN splashed across the plasma TVs. I go on Mondays when sushi is half off for food and beverage workers. If you go for a night out try one of their flavored sakes. Be sure to check out their featured cocktails, they usually have themed nights so look for drink specials. The tuna roll is one of the better rolls I’ve had anywhere, and the eel roll is also a solid choice. The asparagus roll was a let down. It was all spicy mustard and no hint of asparagus.

There’s a myriad of choices downtown. I love Wasabi and Shi Ki. Wasabi has a younger crowd and turns into a bar later in the evening. The portions at Wasabi are nice and big and I’ve only had one bad experience. This is my favorite place for tempura. The tempura oyster roll and tempura shrimp rolls are lovely to look at and go down deliciously. If you aren’t into the whole bar scene, choose Wasabi for an early dinner then walk around the market to find dessert. Wasabi has one of the best locations and is great for a girl’s or guy’s night out on the town.

Shi Ki is my best pick. It’s small and intimate and they treat you like family. This is one sushi restaurant where I’d prefer to sit at the bar instead of a table. The sushi chef is mesmerizing to watch. The eel roll was the best here; big and succulent with the right amount of sweet sauce on top. I also favor their edamame. Not too much salt which is the down fall for most restaurants. The tuna roll is also a good choice, very fresh and a good portion.

On King Street is Sushi Hiro. I was less than impressed with the whole experience. Service wasn’t efficient and the food wasn’t fresh or very exciting. From what I’ve heard the location has changed hands a couple of times and maybe the restaurant hasn’t settled into a natural working motion yet. They do have a good selection of beer. My sister and I enjoy Kirin Ichiban, a light Japanese beer.

In West Ashley I tried Nakato, a Japanese steak house on Sam Rittenberg. I tried it, and I won’t be going back. Between getting my order wrong and not delivering on the food that was given to me, it was an all around bad sushi experience.

I’m always up for a sushi night, but the most important thing I’ve learned is to go to a place that focuses sushi. Shi Ki and Wasabi may offer other things, but their main thing is sushi and that’s what they do best. If you’re a sushi newbie the best thing to do is just jump in. The first time I had sushi I ordered an eel roll and I haven’t stopped. If the raw thing isn’t for you, try tempura rolls, crab rolls, or veggie rolls. If it can be avoided, don’t bite into a roll, it’ll be less attractive trying to bite through cleanly than stuffing the whole thing in your mouth. Happy eating!

Tsunami
Downtown
(843) 965-5281

Mount Pleasant
(843) 881-7061

Nakato Japanese Steakhouse
West Ashley
(843) 769-7475

Wasabi
Downtown
(843) 577-5222

Shi Ki
East Bay Street
(843) 720-8568

Sushi Hiro
King Street
(843) 723-3628