Love at First Bite

I ate my first piece of sushi in 2009 and can say without hesitation it was love at first bite.

I was visiting my boyfriend who lived in Florida, and he wanted to take me somewhere special for supper. "Are you feeling adventurous?" he asked as we started to drive through West Palm Beach. "Sure," I casually replied, not thinking his idea of adventurous would lead to raw fish. 

When our car stopped in front of a restaurant with a flickering "Sushi Bar" sign, thoughts of having to visit the emergency room later to treat food poisoning flooded my mind.  "We're here," he said as he opened my door grabbing my now sweating hand to lead me to the entrance.

I grew up in North Dakota, the land of meat and potatoes. I did not eat raw fish.

While we were waiting for our meals – I can still feel the anxiety– he gave me a crash course in using chopsticks. ”There’s nothing to it,” he said, as he effortlessly picked up a straw wrapper from the table with his chopsticks. I felt like Edward Scissorhands holding those foreign objects that were supposed to transport food to my mouth.

Our sushi finally arrived and I remember thinking, 'I have to pick that up with these, right?' How I wished I had a fork in my purse. It took me a minute or so to grab a piece of my eel roll, but it was worth the struggle. The sushi had such an intense blend of flavors and textures, and I... absolutely loved it.

Coming back to Fargo, North Dakota, with a new favorite food, I was pleased to hear that new Asian restaurants were opening. The Fargo-Moorhead area, with a population of nearly 200,000 people, boasts more than 350 restaurants. Several of these restaurants cater to the 26,000+ college students who attend one of the area's three major universities. 

From 2009 to now, six sushi establishments have opened giving people of the Fargo-Moorhead area a chance to become hooked.

This blog is my report about those restaurants. My attempt to capture those experiences. From information on the chefs to customers’ favorite sushi rolls, may I guide sushi diners in their sushi endeavors.

Kobe's Japanese Cuisine

Kobe's logo

Kobe's, with its grand opening in 2009, is the restaurant I hold accountable for Fargo's sushi explosion. Yuki Hana was the only sushi restaurant at that time, but this was the first restaurant in the area to feature Hibachi cooking, also known as Teppanyaki, a style of preparing food items on a large heated plaque.

Hibachi cooking is thought to have been inspired by a former Japanese wrestler named Hiroaki. His desire to combine ancient Japanese cooking methods with American entertainment inspired him to move to New York to open his first steakhouse in 1964.

According to manager Kiki Rizky, the length of training for a Kobe's hibachi or sushi chef depends on how passionate the aspiring chef is and how much practice they put into it. "I would say in six months to one year they can at least become a sushi helper," he said. He also stressed the importance of training on a daily basis to master the art of entertaining guests.  

Riszky added, "All of our fish are fresh and our executive sushi chef orders them accordingly. We always maintain fresh fish to be used on all of our sushi bar orders. " He added that every single delivery is documented according to health department standards. 

Doug Jensen, a Registered Sanitarian with Fargo Cass Public Health said, “Each restaurant in Fargo-Moorhead is inspected at least once a year to make sure the food they are serving is safe.” He added that area restaurants follow the 2009 FDA Food Code in addition to the “Requirements for Food and Beverage Establishments” established by Fargo Cass Public Health.

He said, “There are no specific sushi guidelines, but the sections on parasite destruction and proper holding and cooling temperatures would certainly apply to those restaurants.” For example, any raw, raw-marinated, or partially cooked fish must be frozen and stored at a temperature of minus four degrees Fahrenheit or below for a minimum of one hundred sixty-eight hours in a freezer. 

Parking in the last row of the jam-packed parking lot, on a Saturday night, I thanked my friend, Ty, for making a reservation. After maneuvering through the crowded waiting area, we checked in with the hostess and were led to our table. 

She pointed out the drink list, so Ty and I perused the sake menu. Neither of us had sampled sake before so we each ordered raspberry sake and a chocolate martini to share.

  Raspberry Sake and Chocolate Martini

The sake arrived in two pouring vials with mini shot glass-like cups. Not enjoying its bitter, dry taste, I was happy that we had ordered the smooth, creamy chocolate martini. 

This was Ty's first sushi experience, so I explained the menu to him. Seeing the fear in his eyes, I described the non-fresh fish options. He chose the California - cooked crab meat, avocado, and cucumber- and sweet potato rolls, jokingly adding they would the least likely to send him to the hospital. Spicy yellowtail and Spicy salmon -$5.95 and $5 respectively- were my rolls of choice, and I also ordered us some edamame and miso soup, - soybean paste broth, dry seaweed, tofu, and scallion.

When the edamame arrived, Ty gave me a quizzical look and asked, "How do I eat this stuff?" After showing him my method of biting the pods to get the beans out, he did the same.

                             Steaming edamame 

The sushi took about 25 minutes to arrive, but it was well worth the wait. Attempting to improve upon the impressive plate presentation, I garnished my sushi pieces with ginger before taking the first outstanding bite. 

                  spicy yellowtail and spicy salmon rolls

Ty struggled with his chopsticks and eventually resorted to picking up the pieces with his fingers. After we finished our meals, our waiter returned with the bill. We paid and he thanked us for choosing Kobe's and requested we come back for another meal.

Overall, the food, drinks, and service were excellent.  I will certainly eat here again because the food is wonderful and the prices reasonable, with the regular rolls costing around $5. I am glad Hiroaki moved to America because without him sushi might not have reached Fargo. 

Wasabi

Forbes magazine recognized downtown Fargo as one of the nation's top ten most transformed neighborhood. Several new bars, restaurants, and shops have opened or remodeled giving downtown Fargo a "big city" feel. Brightly colored flowers adorn the light posts in the warm summer months while Christmas lights and wreaths take their place during the holiday season.

Wasabi, the only sushi restaurant in downtown Fargo, opened in 2010.  Its owners, Thamrong Dechawauth and Dave Scheer, also own the attached Drunken Noodle and Leela Thai Cuisine. The Drunken Noodle is open until 3 am on the weekends making it a popular stop for bar-goers.

                                                Located at  623 N.P. Avenue                                                        

Wasabi, open daily from 11am-9pm (10pm on the weekends), has always been one of my favorite sushi places. A self-proclaimed sushi fanatic, also known as my best friend Abby, joined me at Wasabi for a Friday night dinner, an activity that was routine for us.

As expected the small waiting area and dining room were full, but the hostess gave us an expected wait of only ten minutes. This was music to our ears, since we usually waited at least 45 minutes on Fridays for our favorite sushi.

Chatting excitedly, Abby and I began to discuss which rolls we were craving. "You going to order the specialty deal?" she asked me. "Yeah, I think I'm going to do the Alaska this time with the spicy tuna," I replied.

Wasabi boasts a special of a specialty and regular roll with miso soup for $15, a bargain since most places require the soup to be ordered separately.

The hostess called our name after only a few minutes of waiting and directed us towards our favorite booth. A server who neither of us had seen before - we decided she was new - took our order, and I started photographing items on the table.

Inside the menu   

The miso soup and edamame tasted like their usual perfection. Finishing my last spoonful of soup confirmed my hypothesis that Wasabi serves Fargo's best miso soup.

As if on cue upon finishing our appetizers, the sushi arrived. According to our server, the three sushi chefs have 30+ years' combined experience in preparing sushi. The Alaska roll on my plate - tempura-fried and filled with salmon, asparagus, avocado, and crab stick - looked and tasted like a culinary masterpiece.

Spicy Tuna and Alaska Rolls

Our server, though polite, did a poor job of tending to our water glasses. We both had to stop eating our sushi  because our mouths were on fire from the spicy mayo. She was timely with the bill and apologized for not paying closer attention to our empty glasses. 

Despite this one mouth-parching visit to Wasabi, I would still consider it one of my favorite sushi places in Fargo. Its amazing food, specials, and downtown atmosphere are just a few of the reasons why I will continue to dine at Wasabi. Not to mention the fact that they serve reduced-sodium soy sauce...

Samurai Asian Fusion Cuisine

1775 45th Street South, Suite B Fargo, ND 

"Sushi is not our specialty - it's Samurai's Asian style of cooking that makes us different," said John Weng, manager of Samurai Asian Fusion. Owner Yun Chen, a China native and Weng's brother-in-law, owned several restaurants across the country before relocating to Fargo in December of 2010. 

The move was inspired by a tip from Chen's friend, who noticed Fargo's sushi boom. "We brought New York style to Fargo with the move," Weng added. 

That New York style could be felt upon walking into the restaurant. Metallic strings of beads hung from the ceiling and upbeat Asian music filled the air. It was my first Samurai experience as well as my dinner date Abby's, but we were eager to try what we had heard from friends to be "Great sushi."

Mirror, mirror on the wall

The hostess greeted us promptly and brought us to a booth by a window overlooking the parking lot. Our server's English was difficult to understand, so after taking a complete guess as to what she said to us, I ordered us waters.  Abby giggled saying, "I'm glad you could understand what she said because I had no clue." 

Though the drink list was tempting, we decided to splurge on specialty rolls and appetizers. Weng said specialty rolls are the favorites among customers especially the Burning Man for $13.95 -Spicy tuna inside, topped with avocado, and pepper tuna- or the Fuji for $12.95 -Spicy tuna, cream cheese, crabmeat, asparagus, spicy yellowtail, jalapeno, and crunch. 

Samurai menu

Following Weng's advice about specialty rolls, I ordered the yoshi roll- shrimp tempura, cucumber topped with crunch, and spicy tuna- an Alaskan roll, and a bowl of miso soup. Abby ordered edamame and the sweetheart -shrimp tempura, avocado cucumber top with tuna- and spicy salmon rolls. 

The edamame was excellent, but the miso soup was incredibly salty. I'd be willing to bet I met the daily recommendation for sodium with that one bowl. All thoughts of salty soup temporarily disappeared, though, as 2 decadent plates were delivered to our table. We "Oohed and aahed" over Abby's sweetheart roll, which was appropriately named with its heart shape. Trying our sushi, we were both impressed with the unique flavors. 

Sweetheart and spicy salmon rolls

Weng said the two sushi chefs, personal friends of his, had several years of experience in making sushi, so no formal training was required when they started at Samurai. "Our sushi is fresh because our fish is delivered two to three times a week," Weng added.

Yoshi and Alaskan rolls

Overall, I would consider Samurai an excellent restaurant. With its phenomenal sushi, trendy decor, and unique menu, I am looking forward to several future visits. 

Super Buffet

Across the street from Kroll's Kitchen - a Fargo hotspot for "Shakey Mondays" where patrons can purchase two shakes for the price of one - lies the Super Buffet. A packed parking lot greeted me on my Tuesday lunch visit here. Upon entering the restaurant and reading the specials, I discovered that it was Senior Citizen Day, a Tuesday feature where those 60+  receive $2 off the buffet price of $6.99.

1000 45th St. S,  Fargo, North Dakota

A friendly hostess greeted me and asked my preference of booth or table. Having none she led me to a table in the center of the dining area, a prime location for people watching.

The Senior Citizen special seemed to be a big draw given a majority of the diners looked over the age of 60. Taylor Swift music filled the speakers, a change from the Asian pop music I'd heard at other sushi places.

My server arrived within seconds of being seated, and after a slightly difficult language-barrier conversation, I ordered a water. He pointed to the buffet area, smiled, and said, "Go." I took that as my cue to begin my first sushi dining adventure at a buffet restaurant.

No sushi chef in sight :(

Prominent signs displayed the "Sushi," "Hot Food," "Mongolian Grill," and "Dessert," stations. The sushi station was unattended, a disappointment since I was hoping to visit with one. California, tuna, salmon, and shrimp rolls appeared before me in addition to edamame, wasabi, and ginger. Filling my plate with a variety , I grabbed chopsticks, and headed towards my table. 

Sushi, edamame, and ginger

A telephone call with owner, Henry Guo, eliminated most of my food safety fears regarding buffet sushi. He said fresh fish is delivered at least once a week to the restaurant. "Our sushi is replenished every 1-2 hours since it is a buffet, but for city regulations any unused pieces have to be thrown after 4 hours," he added. His two sushi chefs have both received food service manager training in addition to their previous sushi preparing experience.

The sushi had a nice flavor, but it lacked the freshness that sushi prepared at a sushi bar generally has. Not wanting more sushi, I explored the other food stations.

The other food was nothing I'd brag to friends about - a lukewarm egg roll and unremarkable beef and broccoli. Feeling slightly disappointed I thought dessert would cheer me up. A free-standing cooler with ice cream sat beside the dessert station, so I filled a dish with strawberry and chocolate ice cream.

Three older men seated at the table next to me seemed curious by picture taking, so I asked if I could join them for a bit. Filling them in on my assignment, they said Super Buffet was their favorite Tuesday lunch place. Price, quality of food, and atmosphere, were the reasons they kept coming back.

Oh, and the dessert.  "I like the desserts because my wife won't let me have dessert at home," stated the oldest looking member of the bunch, "Those little cookies they have are so good. I would pay the whole buffet price just to get those," he added.

While the sushi didn't stand up to my usual expectations, it was an enjoyable dining experience. Maybe if I am still in Fargo when I turn 60, I will become a regular at the Super Buffet on Tuesdays.

Sushi 101

Open daily but closed from 2:30-4:30 M-F

Located at 4480 23rd Ave. S #C, ‎101 Sushi Bar and Korean BBQ is the only table-top Korean BBQ restaurant in Fargo. I arrived at the restaurant at noon on a Monday and was surprised to see an empty parking lot. Upon walking into the entryway my ears were filled with upbeat Asian pop music.

Dining room

A friendly hostess greeted me and led me to a table near the Korean BBQ area. I started to chat with my server, and learned the owner, Lili, opened the restaurant in 2010. I asked about the empty dining room, and she said Mondays were typically the slowest lunch days.

My two old roommates, Alexis and Emily, arrived as I was quizzing her about customers' favorite sushi rolls. She informed us that the most popular roll is the Volcano for $13.95- tempura fried with tuna, white fish, and avocado, served with tobiko eel sauce, and mayo- or any of the other Chef's Special rolls. 

Having dined here only once before, I needed a refresher of their menu. Alexis, a sushi fan, suggested the lunch special: 2 regular rolls + miso soup or salad for $8.99. "They have the best sushi in Fargo and it's the cheapest," she added making me excited to try the Alaska and spicy yellowtail rolls. Emily ordered the chicken tempura because "The thought of eating raw fish grosses me out," she said. 

When the miso soup arrived, Alexis mentioned, "I like their miso, but it doesn't have seaweed in it." This was the only restaurant that didn't have seaweed in their miso, but it still tasted good. 

Spicy yellowtail and Alaska rolls 

Just after the waitress cleared away our soup bowls, she brought our sushi. 12 oversized pieces appeared on the plate before me. Alexis brought my attention to the ginger and mentioned, "It basically tastes the same, but it's pickled so it's not pink like most ginger."

After finishing our delicious meals,and paying the bill, I asked the waitress to thank the chefs for their outstanding sushi. She added that the two chefs have trained for over 12 years perfecting both the BBQ and sushi styles of preparation.

I would definitely recommend Sushi 101 to anyone looking for a great lunch under $10. I am hoping to try the Volcano Roll on my next visit and to eventually coax Emily into trying a California Roll.

Osaka

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony in February 2012 (from Osaka website) 

 Osaka, located at 1111 38th Street South  Fargo, ND features a menu similar to Kobe's Japanese Cuisine with its hibachi grill and sushi bar. With seven successful Osakas running in Minnesota, Fargo seemed like an obvious choice for a North Dakota expansion.  

Abby agreed to accompany me on this Friday night visit to Osaka. Sitting on a bench in the crowded waiting room, we reviewed the specials board. The snow mountain roll - tempura shrimp, avocado, mango sauce, and cucumber for $13.95 caught my eye. According to manager, Jason, Osaka's sushi chefs have undergone two years of intense training in addition to their prior training. 

Considering how crowded the waiting room was, we only had to wait a few minutes before getting a table.  Promptly greeting us our server placed glasses of water on our table. She pointed to the drink menu, smiled, and left us to examine the menu. 

Abby chose a special: $15 for three regular spicy rolls and a bowl of miso soup. I ordered the irresistible sounding special roll, a spicy salmon roll, a bowl of miso soup, and edamame for us to share. 

The edamame and Miso Soup were both good, and I particularly enjoyed the curved white dish the edamame was served in. Our attentive server checked in on us several times offering us water refills. After finishing our appetizers, she cleared our plates letting us know our meals were nearly ready.

Snow mountain and spicy salmon rolls

With its crisp and bold flavors, the snow mountain roll was one of the best sushi rolls I've ever tasted. I am delighted that Osaka chose Fargo as its first North Dakota location because they serve fantastic sushi and provide great service. If I'm ever in Minnesota and craving good sushi, I'll be sure to look for an Osaka.