Photo by Kensie Wallner

Samurai Sushi

By Micheal Ramirez
Contributing Writer

When one has a craving for sushi in the Fargo-Moorhead area where would one go? The choices are numerous: Kobe’s, Wasabi, Sushi Time, Sushi 101, Yuki Hana, just to name a few. However, add Samurai Asian Fusion Cuisine & Sushi Bar to the mix and you have options galore.

I had been hearing a huge buzz about the place, so I finally decided to check it out this past Saturday and was pleasantly surprised by the decor and ambiance of the place. It was chic and modern without being stuffy.

Our server Yun Chen (Cindy, because I totally butchered her name on the first try) was very helpful and very knowledgeable about the menu. Following her suggestions, we started with a few appetizers: fried squid rings, fried gyoza (pork dumplings), a beef negimaki, (thinly sliced beef wrapped around scallions and quickly sauteed and tossed in a sweet teriyaki sauce.

The beer and wine selection was somewhat limited, but the sake was very good— served hot (traditional) or ice cold. After having a few sake cups, our appetizers arrived; the squid rings were delicious, perfectly crispy, with a light breading and a sweet chili sauce. The fried gyoza—the crispy dumplings filled with a pork and scallion mix—came with a tangy soy sauce for dipping. Finally the beef negimaki arrived. While its appearance is simple (beef and scallions), the taste was superb and beefy, but with an underlying sweetness that is difficult to place. The dish was so good we had to get a second order.

Somewhere among the chaos at our table, a few orders of the house miso soup arrived. Miso soup is one of my pet peeves—either it’s done right or they botch it. The miso at Samurai is one of the best I’ve had in long time. It was packed with flavor, without being too overpowering.

Finally the main event, sushi and sashimi. Since I had my family with, I decided to play it a bit safe and order some basic sushi and sashimi: California rolls, a spicy tuna roll and a huge roll called the Godzilla roll, a fantastic blend of eel, shrimp, crabmeat, white tuna fluke, salmon and asparagus all deep fried!

I can’t begin to describe our excitement at seeing the sushi chef prepare our food while waiting at the sushi bar. The plate presentation was amazing, excellent use of color and arrangement, and the taste was wonderful. I absolutely hate sushi bars that pack tons of rice on their rolls.
This is not the case at Samurai. The ingredients are the same, but the chefs use a minimum of rice and a fairly large amount of seafood with the idea being that you actually taste the seafood without getting filled up with rice. The chefs there took a great deal of pride in getting all our dishes to us promptly and correctly.

After having eaten some of the best sushi I’ve had in a long time, I was content to just relax, enjoy my remaining sake and unwind. That is until Cindy offered us dessert; her suggestion was creme brulee. I’ve had this dessert many times at various places and was mighty impressed with Samurai’s offering of a delicious real vanilla bean custard with a crunchy sugar topping.
And I hate to admit it, but it was gone before Cindy even left our table to get our check.

The total bill for our meal was very reasonable considering that it was a dinner for five people. I will certainly be going back to dine again. it was a completely enjoyable time, and I would highly recommend it .

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IF YOU GO:
What: Samurai Asian Fusion Cuisine & Sushi Bar
Where: 1775 45th St S Suite B
Info: 701-356-8882