Sushi Nostalgia

I really miss Sushi to go in Australia.  Order some Sushi for delivery, you say! No, it is not the same. This sushi was not cut into pieces. It’s just one kinda fat, kinda short roll for a couple of Aussie dollars. It’s dropped into a paper bag and tossed in your direction. This is not fine sushi. Not the kind of sushi you drool for, but it is convenient, delightful and cheap. Cheap sushi that’s worth eating is not something that really exists in Austin as far as I can tell.

And then this starts me on a serious sushi nostalgia kick. When I lived in North Carolina I worked at two great restaurants: Sushi Thai and Sakura. They’re both owned by the same people and often worked by the same staff. It’s delicious. The hibachi always comes out just right at Sakura. The Thai food is spicy and bursting with flavor at Sushi Thai. And both restaurants have fantastic sushi chefs. The fish is flown in, never frozen, and each sushi roll is a work of art. Prepare to wait a couple minutes for your rolls especially if you get several. When they arrive, you will be amazed at display. If you’re there, please get the Sexy Little Thing for me. I dream about it. The staff here is the kind that never forgets you. They remember what you’d like to drink and where you’d prefer to sit. They know if you like conversation or minimal service. When I first started, I was so insulted that people wouldn’t sit in my section but the experience just wasn’t the same without their regular server. And when I go back to visit them they welcome me with open arms, even though I only worked there a few months.

And now I’m spoiled. I long for fatty toro sashimi, fatty tuna, eel rolls, salmon with cream cheese, rolls that are tempura fried, spicy mayo, eel sauce, slices of perfectly green avocados, fresh strawberries and mangoes.

Sigh, today is just a sushi nostalgia kind of day.

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