As sushi-lovers who are new to Sacramento, my fiancé and I decide to try all the popular sushi joints in town before selecting what will be our “go to” place. Last weekend we stopped by Sapporo Grill , which is between L and K Streets on 16th Street, to check it out.
The scene was lively and fun, perfect for a weekend night. The tables were mostly full of dinners and the area around the bar was packed with people watching the Pacquiao-Mosley fight. The crowd was upscale and while the patrons at the bar were energetic, their volume wasn’t overbearing. We ordered a couple drinks and perused the appetizer selections.
The menu was diverse, including many non-sushi items, like steak, sea bass, and pork chops. While it was tough to pick just a few things off the large menu, we decided to start with an order of Kobe on the Rocks. This distinctive dish comes to the table in two parts. As a heated rock sitting over abed of salt comes out first and is accompanied by a plate of thinly sliced Wagyu Beef. You cook the dish at your table on the hot stone. It was delicious and fun to grill yourself. Word to the wise, the beef cooks fast so just a few seconds on each side it all you need.
Since we were there to sample sushi we split a couple rolls for our main course. We initially were going to go with our standbys, spicy tuna and rainbow, but since the menu was so expansive and distinctive we decided to venture out. We ordered a Dream roll and a Sapporo Roll. (We figure the Saporro roll had to be good since it’s their namesake!)
Both rolls were delicious and very different from one another. The Dream roll had soft shell crab, lobster, daikon sprouts, avocado, salmon, yellowtail, tuna and tobiko, all with a special sauce drizzled on top. It was sweet and flavorful. Our other roll, the namesake, contained unusual ingredients for sushi; sautéed asparagus, lobster and seared filet mignon. We both agreed it was “different”. Delicious in its own right but not what you think of when you think sushi.
Overall, were impressed and would definitely make Sapporo Grill a regular. We had great service, great food and a wonderful time. I’m looking forward to another visit to Sapporo Grill and plan to keep venturing into unique sushi rolls and entrée category next time.
Wasabi, Elk Grove
Five years ago, the only sushi I ate was veggie rolls, such as avocado rolls and cucumber rolls. I played it safe, since I was hesitant to try more complex, flavorful sushi rolls. But things have now changed. After being introduced to other types of sushi rolls about a year ago, I can’t seem to get enough of it.
After my recent move to the Sacramento area, I was eager to try some new sushi restaurants nearby. I’m already a big fan of Mikuni in Sacramento (a SacFoodies favorite) and Sushi Unlimited in Davis, but now I’m also a huge fan of Wasabi in Elk Grove.
Wasabi Sushi is setup as a teppanyaki-style (similar to Hibachi-style) Japanese restaurant, in which bar-style seating surrounds large cooktops where chefs cook food directly in front of the diners. Families with kids seemed to especially enjoy this dining style. While we were there, a teppanyaki chef used a spatula to fling a piece of steak into a young boy’s mouth, which had almost the whole restaurant cheering.
While Wasabi’s teppanyaki-style cuisine looked delicious, my boyfriend and I sat at the bar to watch basketball on their large flat-screen TV. We were there during happy hour (daily, 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.), so we were able to take advantage of the discounted drink and sushi prices, which was great. We loved having our sushi made by General Manager and Head Sushi Chef, Thep Manokoun. He was very funny, made delicious sushi and created an entertaining dining experience for us.
We began with a bowl of warm edamame and a combo tempura platter of fresh vegetables, shrimp and chicken. Once we finished our appetizers, we enjoyed three sushi rolls: a California Roll, a modified Dragon Roll and a roll from Wasabi’s “secret menu,” called the Spot Roll.
The California Roll was simple, yet delicious, containing just avocado, cucumber and imitation crab topped with sesame seeds. The Dragon Roll (that we modified slightly) had shrimp tempura, imitation crab, avocado, cucumber and cream cheese, topped with seared salmon and a tasty “special sauce”. We learned about the secret menu from our sushi chef and decided to give the secret menu’s Spot Roll a try. It was stuffed with deep-fried salmon, shrimp tempura, cream cheese and jalapeños, topped with three sauces: hot sauce, teriyaki sauce and the “special sauce.”
The sushi rolls didn’t disappoint. Everything was fresh, flavorful and filling. Even the presentation was great—the ginger was shaped into a rose and the wasabi was shaped into a leaf (so cool!). We couldn’t resist eating everything until our plates were clean and our stomachs were full. We will definitely we be back for more sometime soon.
Wasabi
2745 Elk Grove Blvd # 300
Elk Grove, CA 95758-7158
(916) 683-8188
Hours:
Sunday-Thursday 4:30 p.m. -9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday 4:30 p.m. -9:30 p.m.
Note: There were groups of people waiting for tables throughout the evening, so I’d recommend making reservations for the teppanyaki-style tables. For reservations, call (916) 683-8188.
Oshima Sushi, Sacramento
It might seem unusual, but yesterday I celebrated Cinco de Mayo at Oshima, a sushi restaurant in the Natomas area. I had never been to this restaurant before so I jumped at the opportunity to try something new and celebrate the holiday.
Little did I know how big the celebration would be! The whole Oshima parking lot was blocked off for an outdoor concert and multiple booths were set up selling skewers, Mexican food, margaritas, and more. Despite that, I was more interested in the food inside the restaurant.
I should make it known that I don’t like seafood of any kind and don’t normally frequent sushi restaurants, but I know most sushi places usually have one meal I do like-teriyaki chicken with rice, and that’s what I ordered. My dining partner chose the PDR, a sushi roll stuffed with shrimp tempura topped with snow crab and green onion. As we waited for our food, we were entertained by the music of a live mariachi band.
The PDR roll came out a little before my chicken. Even though I didn’t try it, I know it must have been good because my dining partner had devoured half of it by the time my food arrived. My chicken teriyaki came on a platter-sized plate to accommodate the humongous serving size! It was delicious- the chicken was tender and there was just the right amount of teriyaki sauce. The rice was cooked to perfection and I was pleasantly surprised to see a side of cut cucumbers on my plate.
After dinner we enjoyed the concert outside, and of course, had a celebratory Cinco de Mayo drink.
Oshima Sushi
2071 Natomas Crossing Dr.
Sacramento, CA 95834
916-515-1958
A New Kind of Sushi Comes to Roseville
From the opening of House Kitchen & Bar (review to come tomorrow!) and the Mason’s makeover announcement, there seems to be a lot going on lately in the Sacramento restaurant world. Of course, foodie news is our favorite kind of news so we have no complaints! In fact, we’ve got one more announcement to add to the list.
Tonight marks the Grand Opening of Sake House at The Fountains in Roseville. Sake House is a new undertaking by Randy Paragary of Paragary Restaurant Group and Bob Simpson, owner of Social Nightclub in downtown Sacramento. The mix of their unique backgrounds has resulted in a new type of sushi and sake experience. The restaurant/bar/lounge/nightclub offers a fully furnished 2,000 square foot patio making for a vibrant dining experience that transforms into an upscale lounge late in the evening with DJ music and dancing.
Whether you’re looking to relax, drink or dine, Sake House promises to have it all!
Sake House
1017 Galleria Blvd. #160
Roseville, CA 95678
(916) 782-5040
Sushiology
If I was stranded on an island and had to pick one food to eat for the rest of my life it would be, without hesitation, sushi. For those of you who follow Sacfoodies, you know that I love making (okay, attempting to make) sushi rolls at home. So, when Mikuni offered the opportunity to attend their introductory Sushiology class I jumped at the chance.
Mikuni’s Elk Grove and Roseville locations offer Sushiology classes, starting from the roll building basics up through making party platters. I’ve made sushi at home quite a bit, but still learned some very handy tricks taking the first class in the series, 1A.
We attended the Elk Grove class, which is held in a private room. There were 24 seats in the class (four per table) with the instructor’s table up front. The size of the class is perfect – we got to know others in the room as we all tested our skills.
The class started with a brief introduction on the history of sushi, then an overview of materials needed to make sushi rolls (all materials provided). Next, we discussed rice. You can’t have good sushi without good rice, which is a delicate mixture of rice, vinegar, sugar and salt.
We started with making a California Roll, and the class competed as to who could make the most perfect roll. Needless to say I did not win, and immediately ate the evidence. Next we created a Spicy Tuna Hand Roll, which was really fun because I’ve never made a hand roll before! Last up was Mikuni’s signature Fair Oaks Roll which was the tastiest.
While we were attempting our creations and getting tips from the chef, Mikuni served appetizers and we got to sample several beers. If you attend this class, which I recommend you do, go with a big appetite. And if you can’t finish your plate (like me) they let you take your creations home.
Here are the details:
Cost: $65.00/person
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (arrive early to get the best seat!)
Sushiology 1A: Temaki, Ura Maki
Sushiology 1B: Mikuni Original Rolls
Sushiology 2A: Tempura
Sushiology 2B: Nigiri, Inari, Tekka Maki
Sushiology 3: Party Platter
Mikuni Elk Grove
8525 Bond Road
Elk Grove, CA 95624
(916) 714-2112