2/21/2002

I love good sushi, but I hate sushi snobs. You know the type - the person who only wants to eat the very freshest rawest rarest pieces of endangered fish on the planet, and who disdains any more "common" sushi, and especially any Americanized sushi like California Rolls. They're entitled to their opinion I guess, but I'm open to anything that tastes good. Wasabi Bistro gets criticized for not being a "real" sushi restaurant because it specializes in lots of rolls, and many of them don't have raw fish. Well after a visit, frankly I don't care. They have good sushi period, whether you like raw fish or not.

We started our meal off with a Miso Soup with Clams, which I'll skip next time. Not because it was bad, but because I want more room for their great sushi rolls! We tried several kinds - Baked Scallop Roll (skip it), Crunch Roll (yum!), Seattle Tempura Roll, Spider Roll, Yummy Roll (lives up to its name), and Spicy Yellowtail Roll (spicy!). All were good to excellent, and I generally prefer the interesting flavor combinations of rolls to simple nigiri sushi. We did try some sashimi - salmon and yellowtail. Both were like butter - so tender and very tasty.

Prices weren't as high as I expected for this trendy Belltown sushi restaurant, and I will definitely be back. With so many good rolls to choose from, this is a great place for people new to sushi and more experienced folks.

Bottom Line: Great rolls, trendy atmosphere, and average (for Belltown) prices.