Heavenly Honjake
Since the two years I have lived in Tucson, I have found out that I have a strong love for sushi. Something about me gets very excited about spicy tuna rolls, fresh wasabi, and beautiful presentations. Luckily, my girlfriend, Breanne, feels the exact same way about this Japanese cuisine and whenever we have spare cash, we make a point to gorge ourselves on as much sushi as we can possibly fit inside of us.
Out of all the sushi restaurants in Tucson, we have had some hits and misses. The one major hit previously to this outing was Sky Blue Wasabi. But, we were driving up Campbell Ave. recently and decided to try something new. This restaurant was Sushimatsu (2660 N. Campbell Ave., 520-320-1574) and Sky Blue may have just found some competition for, what we consider to be, the best sushi joint in Tucson.
Upon walking into Sushimatsu, which is attached to Yoshimatsu Healthy Japanese Food, we were amazed at how quiet was. Sushimatsu has a strict policy that no children or large groups of people can dine there, which Breanne and I couldn't be more happy about considering we were looking for a relaxing evening out together. The walls are painted black, the wooden floors are richly stained, and the sounds of trickling fountains and light Japanese music make up the atmosphere of Sushimatsu.
Breanne couldn't stop commenting on how elegant everything was with our waiters being very polite and patient. They were willing to explain every item on the menu in-depth and had an understanding of what each roll tasted like to them. Other sushi restaurants in town had incredibly rude service and were very short with us, which can be irritating, since Breanne likes to scan the menu throughly before ordering. With Breanne extremely happy with the service, so was I.
After taking the time to decide, we chose the Spicy Tuna Roll ($4.50), Alaskan Roll ($8.50), and the Rainbow Roll ($8.50). I chose to drink a large Sapporo beer ($5.00) while Breanne had a glass of plum wine and soda ($6.00). What amazed us was within a minute of ordering, we had our drinks in front of us with complimentary miso soup and fresh edamame. The miso was perfect with it not being too salty, but still having a hearty tofu flavor. Our edamame was the same with it being salted perfectly and easy to pop out of its casing.
After we finished our edamame and soup, the sushi was delivered and it was heavenly. The spicy tuna was strong and had a nice Japanese garlic flavor it. Even with a heaping helping of wasabi in my soy sauce, the roll was not overbearing, but still had a great kick. The rainbow roll was also wonderful with the yellowtail, tuna, salmon, and shrimp blending together with the rice and avocado. Breanne and I really believe the rainbow roll is the best roll for a sushi beginner to try as it gives you many different pieces of fish to try to figure out what you enjoy the most.
But the best item Breanne and I ate that night was, easily, the Alaskan roll. The salmon used at Sushimatsu is special due to the fact it is Honjake Salmon, which the restaurant swears upon and uses strictly. When we ordered our meal, we didn't think there would be a major difference upon the way Sushimatsu's salmon tasted compared to other sushi restaurants. We couldn't have been more wrong. The salmon was amazingly fresh and did not have a fishy flavor. It almost tasted pure and we couldn't have ate the roll any faster.
Synopsis: With its proximity to campus, their policies about large groups and children, and wonderful service and food. For a nice, quiet evening after a long day at work, you can't go wrong here with a roll with some Honjake Salmon and a big bowl of miso soup.
Out of all the sushi restaurants in Tucson, we have had some hits and misses. The one major hit previously to this outing was Sky Blue Wasabi. But, we were driving up Campbell Ave. recently and decided to try something new. This restaurant was Sushimatsu (2660 N. Campbell Ave., 520-320-1574) and Sky Blue may have just found some competition for, what we consider to be, the best sushi joint in Tucson.
Upon walking into Sushimatsu, which is attached to Yoshimatsu Healthy Japanese Food, we were amazed at how quiet was. Sushimatsu has a strict policy that no children or large groups of people can dine there, which Breanne and I couldn't be more happy about considering we were looking for a relaxing evening out together. The walls are painted black, the wooden floors are richly stained, and the sounds of trickling fountains and light Japanese music make up the atmosphere of Sushimatsu.
Breanne couldn't stop commenting on how elegant everything was with our waiters being very polite and patient. They were willing to explain every item on the menu in-depth and had an understanding of what each roll tasted like to them. Other sushi restaurants in town had incredibly rude service and were very short with us, which can be irritating, since Breanne likes to scan the menu throughly before ordering. With Breanne extremely happy with the service, so was I.
After taking the time to decide, we chose the Spicy Tuna Roll ($4.50), Alaskan Roll ($8.50), and the Rainbow Roll ($8.50). I chose to drink a large Sapporo beer ($5.00) while Breanne had a glass of plum wine and soda ($6.00). What amazed us was within a minute of ordering, we had our drinks in front of us with complimentary miso soup and fresh edamame. The miso was perfect with it not being too salty, but still having a hearty tofu flavor. Our edamame was the same with it being salted perfectly and easy to pop out of its casing.
After we finished our edamame and soup, the sushi was delivered and it was heavenly. The spicy tuna was strong and had a nice Japanese garlic flavor it. Even with a heaping helping of wasabi in my soy sauce, the roll was not overbearing, but still had a great kick. The rainbow roll was also wonderful with the yellowtail, tuna, salmon, and shrimp blending together with the rice and avocado. Breanne and I really believe the rainbow roll is the best roll for a sushi beginner to try as it gives you many different pieces of fish to try to figure out what you enjoy the most.
But the best item Breanne and I ate that night was, easily, the Alaskan roll. The salmon used at Sushimatsu is special due to the fact it is Honjake Salmon, which the restaurant swears upon and uses strictly. When we ordered our meal, we didn't think there would be a major difference upon the way Sushimatsu's salmon tasted compared to other sushi restaurants. We couldn't have been more wrong. The salmon was amazingly fresh and did not have a fishy flavor. It almost tasted pure and we couldn't have ate the roll any faster.
Synopsis: With its proximity to campus, their policies about large groups and children, and wonderful service and food. For a nice, quiet evening after a long day at work, you can't go wrong here with a roll with some Honjake Salmon and a big bowl of miso soup.
posted by Sam Brace at 1:32 PM
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