It's a Sushi Wrap!

After these past 12 weeks writing about different sushi restaurants in the Triangle, I'm glad to say it was a great success. Here I have my top ten list, starting from best to worst.

Top TEN
1.Mura
2.Sono
3.Sushi-O
4.Kanki
5.Sushi Nine
6.Yo-Ho Asian Bistro
7.ShabaShabu
8.Harris Teeter
9.Sushi Tsune
10.Sushi Blues

My top ten is rated best by the taste of the sushi, how fresh the raw fish was, the service, the cleanliness, the selection on their menu, and the atmosphere. My top five are more pricy than the others and a lot nicer on the inside.  If you want to get your moneys worth, I would definitely suggest the top five places.

Although ShabaShabu has good sushi their service and sanitation is horrible. Numbers eight through ten are the top three places not to waste your money and time on.

I hope all of my advice has been helpful. To those of you who haven't tried sushi I definitely recommend you going and at least giving it a try. My boyfriend, Brian Reites never tried sushi until I made him. He really enjoyed it. I'm happy to say this has been a great experience.

Yummy Kanki Sushi

Kanki is located at 4325 Gleenwood Avenue. 

The service was great. My waitress made sure my water was filled to the top and checked on me at the right times to see if everything was good. 

A lady and her daughter said, "Sono is our favorite spot, but we are having a girls day shopping around we decided to grab some sushi at Kanki. We like it." 

 Their menu had many great, delicious selections. What you see in the picture is what you get. The prices are a little higher than other places but its well worth it. It was very hard for me to choose because it all sounded way too good. I had to ask the waitress her opinion to help me narrow my selection.

$13.00

I choose the Poseidon Roll. Inside this deliciousness was lobster and shrimp tempura fried, massago, with scallions on top, cucumber and spicy mayo, in a reverse roll topped with crab stick and a seasoned sweet soy sauce. 

Each slice is super big but it taste like heaven in your mouth. It had a wonderful crunch while tasting the fresh lobster with a sweet and spicy taste. 

ShabaShabu Is The Sushi For You!

ShabaShabu is located at 3080 Wake Forest Road.

There is plenty of seating room with different atmospheres around the whole restaurant in separate rooms.

When you get your first cup of water make sure to check it before drinking it. You might have a little something floating around.

 Their menu of sushi was very limited but definitely had a lot of great choices.

The service was terrible. Being the only one in the restaurant it took my waitress over ten minutes to ask me if I was ready to order. I had to ask another waitress to refill my water and get my bill for me. Also, when I asked my waitress to tell me some of their most popular sushi rolls she couldn't really give me answers.

$8.99

The sushi roll I choose was The Wolfpack.  Inside the roll was, crab, asparagus, avocado, scallions, tempura flakes, spicy mayo and tobiko.

The thin sliced, easy to eat bites of sushi were delicious. With its fresh crab it was warm, with a crispy crunch taste, and a hint of spicy mayo rolling through your mouth.

Maggie Wright a student at  Peace College said, " I am a lover of seafood, the crab was fresh and I loved the crunchiness."

Sushi Tsune needs to GO AWAY!

Sushi Tsune is located at 3417 Hillsborough Street.

                        

Their menu is the same as the inside of the building; small. From their little selection of sushi rolls they are all for a great price of under ten dollars. What a deal! They even have a section for you vegetarian lovers. 

 Sushi Tsune offers specials such as, two rolls for $8.95 and three rolls for $9.95 of their choice.

 Two students from the University of North Carolina State said, "This is our favorite place to come to, we have tried almost everything on the menu."

 The service at Sushi Tsune was so nice. My waitress was very friendly and talkative. She made sure I had everything I needed from my glass being filled to the top of water to the soy sauce for my sushi.

Being able to sit at the sushi bar eye level was neat. I was able to see through the glass where they prepared my sushi roll of choice.

 $5.95

The sushi roll I chose was their most popular, the Crunchy Spicy Tuna Roll. Inside this sushi roll there was spicy tuna, cucumber, mayo, and tempura drops.

Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as it looked. The crunchiness wasn't all the way around the roll, the spicy taste was only two out of the six rolls, the seaweed was extra chewy, and the worse thing of all it didn't have any flavor. It was like eating crunchy rice with a side of mushiness.

Overall, the service is great but the sushi isn't.

SONO is SO YES!

Sona is located at 319 Fayetteville Street. It is right beside your local news station, ABC 11. Inside Sono they dark colors of red and black, which really make a bold statement about the restuarant. It gives a really neat vibe and definitely a place I would go back to during the night life.

My boyfriend, Brian Reites said, "I could eat Sono seven days a week, it's the best first sushi I have ever had." 

My waitress, Jennifer, was very helpful and friendly. She gave me a few of Sono's favorites and I chose one out of the four she told.  They have sushi specials everyday consisting either two rolls for sixteen dollars or a soup, salad, and sushi roll for twelve dollars. 

Their easy to read menu was great. Being able to see the color photo of the sushi with the description below made it easier for me to make my decisions. 

Sono has a great selection of seating. You can sit by the window for a table for two, at the bar with it's glitzy, sparkling countertops, the dinging area or next to the wall with its table of an option to sit on one side for the booth effect or across the table in a chair for more of a table effect. If you choose to sit 

$9.00

The sushi roll I chose was the Crunchy Diablo. This sushi didn't come out in a circle form, it was cut so you could see what was inside the roll on the outside. The crunchy, spicy, creamy, sweet taste in your mouth is to die for. 

Miso Hungry for Mura

 Mura is located at 4121 Main at North HIlls St.  Mura is located to the right of the Renaissance Hotel. 

The menu has a great easy to read selection. Not only does it have the description of the sushi roll but a clear colored image of what the actual sushi looks like.




I find this easier and more appealing because I get to see what I'm actually going to have on my plate right in front of me.



While reading about the sushi roll it is very descriptive in letting you know what's inside, on top and covered in and on the sushi roll.






                             




Mura holds a special everyday of buy one roll get the next roll half off.

Maddie Carney a student at Peace College said, "I enjoyed the Screaming "O" for more reasons than just the riske name. It is like heaven in your mouth."

                                             





The seating is really great at Mura. Along with a great area for outside seating, in the front the restaurant is a bar with seating room around it along with other tables for two to four people. When you make your way to the back you notice on the sides there are tables for six sitting low to the ground with walls in between the rooms for a little more privacy for dinner with family and friends. All the way back to the dining area you notice the lighting getting a little darker. With dim lighting and romantic feel, Mura is definitely a sushi date night go to.


The service at Mura was great. Not only did my waiter make sure I was doing good but the manager and the hostess herself came to my table. My waiter was very friendly and attentive. He made sure my glass was always filled with water and made sure my sushi was to my expectation.

$14.00

My waiter told me the Screaming "O" was a real popular sushi roll. After hearing about this from a student at Peace College and the waiter suggesting it I knew I had to try it. Screaming "O" includes, Spicy tuna and shrimp tempura inside seared tuna on top served with creamy "O" sauce and eel sauce.

After taking my first bite into this creamy, spicy, fresh sushi roll my mouth was drooling for more. My plate was demolished so fast even my waiter couldn't believe it.

Next time I'm "miso hungry for sushi," I will definitely go back for more.

Sushi Blues or Sushi Blah?

  

When I walked in I had the option to sit at the bar, sushi bar or in the dining area. With lots of different places to sit and great people working there I am sad to say the sushi doesn't own up to the restaurant itself. 

The waiter I had at Sushi Blues was very friendly and really helped me make my decisions easier while choosing the sushi I wanted. He told me the most popular sushi then I chose one that sounded different to me.

What made their menu unique is on one side of the menu they had sushi rolls named after celebrities.

                                        The two I chose were the Wolfpack and the Dylan roll.

Jami Upchurch a student at Peace College said, " I don't really like Sushi Blues because I don't feel like the sushi isn't as fresh as other places and it's a little over rated because it's cheap for the college crowd. I rather have quality sushi than a social outlet." 

The Wolfpack has crab, tempura flakes, asparagus, avocado, sesame seeds, spicy mayo, and tobiko.

The Dylan had tuna, cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, roe, and sesame seeds.

I was disappointed in not one but both of my sushi rolls. While trying to dig my way through the sushi to even find the fish I choose it did not taste fresh at all. 

When I took my first bite into my Wolfpack sushi roll all I could taste was the seaweed, rice, and a crunch of nothing. There was really no flavor at all. 

While eating the tuna roll I thought my cream cheesed would be smothered all around the inside of the sushi instead it was a block. It was like biting down into cream cheese by itself. It was not appetizing. 

After all said and done, I do not recommend Sushi Blues.  

Sushi O? You Should Definitely GO!

Sushi-O Bistro & Sushi Bar is located at 222 Gleenwood Avenue.

The atmosphere inside is a little fancier then the other sushi restaurants I have been too and smaller, but that doesn't mean the sushi isn't good.

A regular customer said, "This is one of my favorite sushi restaurants to come to because the sushi is so good" She is from San Diego, CA and she said, "There you can't communicate with the sushi chief like you can here. I like to be able to tell the chief what I want myself not to a waitress."  Also, really loves the atmosphere inside. 

What I gained from the employees that work there is that all of them are very friendly and talkative. It's almost as if you could gain a friendship with one of the employees before leaving.

Here is a one side only of all the their options of Sushi. To make my decisions easier I always ask my waitress/waiter what the their most popular roll is then I choose one of my own that sounds yummy to the tummy.

 The sushi at the bottom of the picture is their popular roll, "The Tigress." This was very soft, crunchy  with a double kick of spice after eating a bite all in one.  Inside was spicy tuna, tempura with a crunch, avocado topped with seared tuna, scallion and spicy mayo. I can see why it is the most popular. This roll of sushi is priced at $13.95.


The sushi  at the top of this picture you see a lot going on. Hints the name, " Crazy Salmon." Inside this crunchy, sweet, spicy sushi has crab, cream cheese that is deep fried topped off with spicy mayo, hot sauce, massago, asparagus, and salmon. This sushi is priced at $14.95. This one was my favorite out of the two.


Sushi-O? You should definitely go! You won't be disappointed.

Yo-Ho Asian Bistro is a GO!

Yo-Ho Asian Bistro is located at 8240 Tyron Woods Drive in Cary, North Carolina.

Here we go to Asian Bistro with their buy one get one free deal! 

When I sat down and was given the menu I was a bit overwhelmed with all the choices. Little did I know there was a back side too to make my decision even harder because everything sounded delicious.













When it came to my decision I tried one of their popular ones called, "The Lion King Roll" inside this monster was spicy salmon, crabstick, inside masago toped with avocado, shrimp tempura, eel sauce and spicy mayo. After taking one big bite of this sushi my taste buds were screaming for more. It was absolutely delicious.

I've realized when it comes to trying sushi no matter how different and non-appetizing the description of the sushi may be you should definitely branch out and try it. For my second choice I tired the "Bagel Role." Inside it included: smoke salmon, cream cheese cucumber rolled fried and crispy. Served with eel sauce and spicy mayo. The first bite into this you can feel the crunch in your teeth with the cream cheese running through your mouth.

They were both so delicious but might I add, while going to eat sushi have a friend with you to help you munch on that deliciousness going in your mouth. You will get full way too fast with big and completely different sushi rolls.  I would suggest if you get something a little heavier make your second roll something simple.

 There is extra seating in the bar area. While sitting there you could probably catch a glance of them making the sushi right in front of you. There is also a lot more comfortable seating in the restaurant to your best comfort.

The service was great. My waitress was very friendly and told me to take my time looking over the menu of Sushi since there were so many choices. She took the time to tell me the what the most popular different sushi's there are at the restaurant and went into detail about the ones I was interested in.


Yo-Ho here you should go, and try Asian Bistro!

Sushi Nine was a TEN!

Want a place to look fine and dine? How about you try Sushi Nine! 

Sushi Nine located is located at 3812 Western Boulevard. This restaurant caught my attention for their everyday deal of buy one get one free of equal or lower value. This is great because you can go with your friends and spilt a deal! 

"Don't judge a book by its cover." When first pulling into Sushi Nine it doesn't its best, but when you go inside and turn the corner the expression on your face will change. The first thing I noticed was the bar. It hadnice settle but bright blue lighting underneath.  The space it had for seating and the lighting was just right. With it being spacious enough, you don't feel like you're sitting on top of one another in the restaurant. It is definitely a fun but very relaxed atmosphere.

From the selection being easy to read with it being in alphabetical order, I chose Sexy Girl as my first choice. It consist of Shrimp tempura, cucumber, avocado topped with spicy crab. I'm so glad I had a fork for this monster because my chopsticks couldn't handle how big it was. 

For my second choice I choose the Lobster Roll. Inside the Lobster Roll there was lobster tempura, cucumber, avocado, and spicy mayo topped with masago. This one was my favorite out of the two. I loved the kick it gave with the spicy mayo. It definitely made my taste buds want more and more.

My waiter was great. He made sure I had everything I needed and even made a couple of jokes which made him get bonus points for being so nice.

Dalia Dahir, a student at Peace College said that she likes going to Sushi Nine because, " it's always buy one get one free and that it's super yummy! Everyone that works there is super friendly." Her favoirte sushi is the Philadelphia Roll. 

Sushi Nine is a ten and I definitely recommend going in.

I've got the Sushi Blues

When I hear the word Sushi you can count me in!

Back in middle school when I tried Sushi for the first time, I have never been able to let go of such an addiction. 

When it comes to cooking the right home cooked meal, whether it is for lunch or dinner I always choose my closes Harris Teeter. It always has the best and the most fresh butcher, fisherman, food and farmers market.

One thing I find unusual about your local Harris Teeter is that it sells Sushi. Who would have thought? It comes out fresh everyday. You also have the variety to choose from so you're not just stuck with the everyday California Roll. This being my first time ever trying Harris Teeter Sushi may sound crazy for how much of a fan I am as well as how quick and convenient it can be. 

After branching out and trying the Crunchy Shrimp Roll with avocado and cucumber, I'm sad to say I got the Sushi Blues and was very disappointed. I felt like the ingredients were almost too mushy, which made it taste not "oh so delicious." You also aren't able to taste that little crunch you get from the avocado and cucumber. 

Tonya Carter says, "That she thinks most of it's okay from Harris Teeter, but if she had to choose her favorite would be the Philadelphia roll.

I'd rather spend the same amount of money at a restaurant that makes Sushi with more choices then paying for your typical grocery store brand.