Salute our 44th President & First Lady with Sushi...

The Michelle and Obama Rolls

Walking into the restaurant it was hard not to notice flyers tacked all over the walls denoting the Inauguration specials. What kind of sushi would appropriately reflect the history of Barack Obama's election to the White House? We dug deeper into the menu and noticed that there were three rolls being offered in honor of Inauguration Day: the Barack, the Michelle, and the Obama roll.

Malia and I decided upon the Obama - yellow-tail with tempura asparagus, topped with tuna. We couldn't leave Michelle out, so we ordered up a roll named in her honor - a generous filling of avocado, spicy tuna, cucumber topped with salmon. Oh yeah that Michelle is a spicy one!

Sushi chefs working their magic.

While we waited a good twenty minutes for our food to arrive, we sipped on some hot tea and took in the view of the sushi bar, highlighted nicely with some festive lights and pointsetta plants. The restaurant is divided up into sections with your typical bamboo screens. The place was warm and inviting. Arriving around 6:30, we were able to just beat the crowd that began to form.

Miso and salad.

The wait staff brought out our tea, soup, and salad rather quickly. They must have known how long we would have to wait for our rolls to arrive. The miso was nice, generally what you would expect at most japanese restaurants, but with lots of fresh scallions which added a nice crunch and zest to the broth. The salads that typically come with sushi are generally quite boring, iceburg with carrots and dressing. However, at my favorite sushi place in Vienna, Yama, the dressing is a lovely combination of ginger, sesame, and peanut flavors. The dressing at Sushi-zen paled in comparison, essentially a watered down thousand island. Do yourself a favor and skip the salad.

While discussing the expected chaos that is to arrive in DC and VA this weekend, our rolls were placed on our table. Finally we could eat! The service was slow, but the sushi was very good. The Obama won the taste test. The subtle flavor and buttery texture of the tuna contrasted nicely with the crunchy tempura vegetable. These clean flavors kept us coming back for more. The Michelle offers a spicy tuna without the company of its usual mayonaise or cream cheese partners, something to be appreciated. The avocado stood in as a nice substitute, offering the same rich texture, with a fresher and lighter flavor. The smoked salmon provided beautiful color and contrast to the spicy tuna. These pairings did not provide much textural contrast, however. The tuna, avocado, and salmon were extremely smooth and buttery, often making it a little hard to chew without everything slipping all over the place. The tuna could have been a little spicier, especially with the presence of the avocado to balance out the heat.

Our bill worked out to $17 a person for tea, soup, salad, and specialty roll. Not incredibly cheap, but not a bad deal. This place would definitely be ideal to visit with a group. Sushi-zen offers a number of platters to be shared, which can cut down on costs. There are also a number of coupons offered on their website.

Except for the service, I was rather delighted by my experience. It is nice to find a sushi place in Arlington that can be counted on for great quality and atmosphere.

1.5 out of 3 JAMs

Sushi-Zen

2457 N. Harrison Street

Arlington, VA 22207

'Ha ru'de!

Boston "uncommon" roll (if only the wait staff were as clever as this name).

After an afternoon spent watching the Will Ferrel film, "Elf", and eating cookies, we all wanted something lighter for dinner. We decided on sushi at Haru. AJ called ahead to reserve a table, as pretty much any place in Boston starts to fill up quickly for dinner. The hostess responded, rather rudely, that they weren't taking reservations (even though AJ has made reservations before).

We decided to head over regardless, because Haru is located a block away from AJ's apartment and we really didn't want to walk in the cold. The entrance was packed with people waiting for a table, and as we walked in the host asked us if we had made reservations. Well this certainly got our blood boiling after having dealt with such a rude response to our request for reservations earlier. We were told they could seat us at the bar if we were willing. With our stomachs growling, we agreed.

They seated us at the bar, giving us a view of the sushi chefs at work. Unfortunately the seats at the bar are rather low, allowing one to see the chef's heads, but not their preparation of the sushi (another disappointment).

As we took off our coats, Nick placed his laptop behind his chair. As soon as he began to peruse the menu a waitress came over demanding that he move his laptop or they would move it for him. It wasn't so much the request that was disarming, but the manner in which the waitress spoke to him. We had yet to order, and so far the service had been very poor.

Salmon avocado roll and tuna sashimi

After disappearing for awhile after we had placed our drink orders, our waiter returned. AJ and Nick both ordered the "Boston Uncommon" roll, Anna the phoenix roll and I got the salmon avocado with tuna sashimi. An order of steamed dumplings was requested as well. Our waiter returned five minutes later to inform us that the steamed dumplings would take longer than anticipated because they were "still frozen". We were dumbfounded that a waiter would admit that a dish was frozen. I mean it is not as if we were at a TGIFriday's. The dumplings were brought out and were given decent marks by Nick and Anna. But for the price, you would expect something a little fresher.

Although many of us had eaten at Haru before and enjoyed the sushi, our expectations at this point were pretty low. As I stared at the sushi chefs over the bar, I kept hoping that the next roll they brought out would be one of ours. After a solid 20 minutes of waiting, they brought out our rolls.

The "Boston uncommon" is just that - beautifully presented in pyramid form with a rainbow of colors that visually whet the appetite. The flecks of golf add a sophisticated feel, although they add nothing tastewise. The flavors themselves are unique, with bits of mango and ginger creating a tropical sensation around the salmon, tuna, and avocado that one is used to experiencing in a sushi roll.

The salmon and avocado roll was solid, nothing extraordinary. The tuna sashimi was an excellent cut of fish that was smooth and buttery as it rolled down my tongue. For $10 my meal was reasonably priced. The signature rolls will cost you $17-19 (a little exorbitant in my opinion).

Overall, the food was pretty good, but not worth the poor service and high prices.

1.5 JAMs

Haru

800 Boylston St

Boston, MA 02199