922 NW Circle Blvd. #110
The sushi at Market of Choice grocery store is a great option for sushi lovers who want to grab-and-go. The chefs of Hissho Sushi make varieties of fresh sushi throughout the day whether you want a spicy tuna, traditional salmon, or veggie roll. The best time to go is Sushi Wednesday where up to 10 different varieties of sushi are only $5. They also provide special orders for party platters with only 24-hour notice. Plus, considering it’s a supermarket and not a four-star sit-down restaurant, the sushi here is way better than it has any cause to be.
Aomatsu Sushi & Grill
122 NW 3rd St.
I quit smoking recently. Everything was fine until a supremely excellent lunch at Aomatsu Sushi & Grill. My meal was so satisfying that no amount of rationalization could prevent me from ransacking the apartment for a stray cigarette. Soft-shell crab is in season, so try the Spider Roll. The house maki—Aomatsu Roll—featured exquisitely fresh salmon on top of crabmeat and cucumber wrapped snugly in rice and nori. Afternoon service is a bustling affair with equal parts downtown office crowd and Japanese students. Drink some warm house saké as well. It will heat your bones on a cloudy, damp summer day in Oregon.
Sada Sushi & Izakaya
151 NW Monroe Ave.
There aren’t many sushi restaurants where the atmosphere exemplifies the same elegance as the sushi and sashimi they serve. Sada Sushi does just that. Red Japanese lanterns, bamboo railings, and intricate wooden carvings all coalesce in a soothing, beautiful ambiance. Every dish is exquisitely plated with ingredients of utmost quality. The sashimi nearly melts in your mouth, and even the non-raw dishes show high attention to detail. Sada gives us true Japanese food, all at reasonable prices. It’s the next best thing to being teleported to Japan, plus, obviously, the benefit of not being separated into individual particles and transported across the Pacific Ocean by theoretical technology.
Tokyo Japanese Steak House
250 SW 3rd St.
Fun Fact 1: Japan sent a delegation to the 1867 World’s Fair in Paris, France, the home of mayonnaise. Fun Fact 2: Japan’s favorite Kewpie mayonnaise, packaged in a horrifying doll-shaped bottle, opened in 1925. Now the foul stuff runs amok on sushi menus across the U.S. Tokyo Japanese Steak House offers the usual creamy, trans-fat onslaught with names like “Beaver Roll” and “Red Dragon Roll.” Thankfully, a doubly long list of traditional sushi, maki, and sashimi balances the scales. Their fish is fresh and flavorful. Their rice is compact, yet tender. Service, although slightly addled, didn’t last a Corvallis eternity. If you want theater with dinner, balcony seating gives the best view of their food-slinging, fire-starting hibachi chefs.
Shogun Bowl
2461 NW Monroe Ave.
I like a place that you can count on. Like, the post office on Tax Day. Look, I never specified that it’s the best place in town, just that it’ll be there for you when you need it. Let’s all recognize, you’re not taking a first date to Shogun, at least not if you’re looking for a second date. And you’re not going to Shogun if you have unlimited funds and the palate of a restaurant reviewer. But if you have a limited budget and you want a place you can count on for decent deep-fried sushi rolls, SB’s got your back. The Beaver Roll is as good as any on the menu, and the service is always solid. So go there and tell them Sid sent you… They’ll have no idea what you’re talking about, but it’ll be funny-ish.
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