SFO: Meal: Nara Sushi

Growing up on the coast, I have a certain ‘engrained’ liking for seafood. Since moving inland, I have been deprived of it. This made my first dinner an easy choice.

Nara Sushi is a small but welcoming Japanese restaurant on Polk St. Open late and great service. I was alone this meal so I sat at the bar which had the added benefit of placing my order direct with the chef.

I started out with an Iced Tea. Of course in Canada these just come sweet. Down this side of the border, if it isn’t called sweet tea, it isn’t sweet. Luckily, the server predicted my mistake and brought a pack of sweetener with the tea. Half a pack later, it was delightful.

For rolls, I had the classic Avocado Roll and the Tiger Roll (a house special).

The Avocado Roll was about as good as an Avocado Roll can get, which is not saying a lot. The rice was standard, no weird aftertaste that sometimes comes with ‘lesser’ sushi places. Overall, it was pleasant but nothing special.

The Tiger Roll was this meal’s shining star. Subtly spicy and super tasty, this roll is filled with fried crab and cucumber, topped with salmon and avocado, then drizzled in a spicy creamy sauce. I would definitely recommend this roll.

Next up was the Gyoza, which was filled with chicken and vegetables. Like the Avocado Roll, there is not much to say about these. 5 on a plate, tasted satisfactory and better than the average. Worth the $4.50? I would say so.

A note for the gluten sensitive: they do not seem to have gluten free soy sauce, their eel sauce has wheat, and so does their crab. The chef was friendly and able to make substitutions for the gentleman sitting next to me at the bar (as I eavesdropped).

I would eat here again.