Choose Your Wasabi Wisely
It's amazing how many sushi restaurants are in Tucson, Arizona. Off the top of my head, I could count over fifteen I had eaten at alone and I am sure more are opening as I write this. There is something about this southwestern city that brings out the urge to eat lots of raw fish, vinegar rice, and pickled ginger. But with the saturation of this Japanese cuisine in Tucson, it would be easy for the average college student to get lost and not be able to find the best the city has to offer.
Look no longer. Sky Blue Wasabi (250 W. Craycroft Road., Tucson, Arizona) has found its way to become not only the best sushi restaurant, but one of the best overall restaurants in the Tucson metropolitan area.
Over Spring Break, my girlfriend and I were trying to find someplace to eat that we hadn't been before. After driving around town, we saw this beautiful building off of Broadway and Craycroft that had blue neon lights lighting up the parking lot. Excited to see what was brightening the street, we drove over and found Sky Blue Wasabi. Since we were both hungry and it seemed new enough, we decided to go in and give it a try.
Immediately walking in, my girlfriend remarked that the atmosphere of this place is “completely not Tucson.” Poor lighting and dull colors are not to be associated with the restaurant. Stainless steel, courteous servers, and that neon blue lighting make up the interior of Sky Blue. There are plasma televisions everywhere broadcasting ESPN while the sushi chefs are lively creating their masterpieces of eel and yellowtail; the teppan yaki tables are blazing in the back of the room while the guests are clapping along with the entertainment.
We sat down at the sushi bar and looked over the menu. There were so many choices and many that we had never seen before. Sky Blue has the old standbys such as California Rolls, Spicy Tuna, and a wide variety of different sashimi. However, they have unique rolls that are strictly available at Sky Blue and only Sky Blue such as the Sky Blue Wasabi Roll ($9). This roll contains eel, avocado and thinly sliced strawberries that have been coated with a special sauce. We were weary to try the special rolls at first and decided to try a Rainbow Roll ($8), Spicy Tuna Roll ($5), Salmon Sushi ($4), and a California Roll rolled in Masago ($5). I told my girlfriend that if we were still hungry after this order, we would have to try the Sky Blue Wasabi Roll and she agreed.
After ordering our food, the waitress gave us a complimentary bowl of miso soup. The miso here was salty but not overbearing and had very strong flavors of seaweed. It was absolutely delicious, especially with the small cubes of tofu added. Both of us ate it quickly and really enjoyed it. It was just the right amount to get our appetites roaring for some incredible sushi.
By the time we finished, our sushi chef was done preparing our meal in a beautiful presentation that had our sushi on white plates with centerpieces of flowers made out of carrots and cucumbers. Every plate of rolls included the usual wasabi and pickled ginger pieces. With all the choices in front of us, we chose to eat the Rainbow Roll first. The Rainbow Roll consists of a California Roll with avocado and different pieces of fish such as tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and shrimp. My girlfriend really enjoyed that because it allows you to sample the different types of fish you can eat without spending money on something you may not enjoy.
After that, we tried the Spicy Tuna which came with a garlic hot sauce on the bottom of the plate. Alone, the roll was amazing. With soy sauce and wasabi added, it was fiery hot. The contrast of the soft tuna with the hot garlic sauce was incredible. The salmon and the California Roll with Masago were also amazing with such strong flavors and rice that didn't fall apart immediately upon touching with your chopsticks.
My girlfriend and I were so impressed with this selection we chose that we decided to indulge ourselves and try the Sky Blue Wasabi Roll with the eel and strawberries. Our chef looked very happy that we ordered this roll and prepared it with a huge smile across his face. As he put the finishing touches on the dish, we were amazed by the difference of this presentation. It came on a darker plate with lots of pink and neon green sweet sprinkles around the rim. The chef had poured a sweet sauce across our rolls to enhance the flavor of the strawberries. Cautious about trying eel, my girlfriend asked me if I could try the roll first. I did and I couldn't believe how many flavors were in this roll. The salty eel with the creamy avocado with the tart strawberry made this such a complex treat. After my face lit up from enjoyment, my girlfriend dug in and after tasting it, her smile matched mine. This was fabulous.
With a waitstaff who was attentive and amazing presentation at a low cost, this was a restaurant every Tucsonian should try. It will not only let you experience the best of what Tucson has to offer in the world of sushi, but also leave you happy to know you can get amazing food as well. My girlfriend and I have gone back countless times with friends and they, like us, always leave content and full without an empty wallet.
Synopsis: Every student should drive over to Sky Blue Wasabi and taste what you will crave after graduation.
posted by Sam Brace at 8:02 PM
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