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...