Sushi Arrives Downtown

As you walk down 1st Avenue North, you might notice a couple of changes in the last couple months. Gone is the delicious fare that the Green Market once brought, but in its place is the recent opening of the Drunken Noodle. Tucked into the back corner of that is the addition of downtown Fargo’s first sushi joint, aptly named Wasabi.
Once inside, you’ll find a sparse, but inviting area that feels a bit like you’ve stumbled into something secretive. Owner and sushi chef Keng will offer you a friendly hello, and then craft you up some of the freshest fish in the area. While sushi and Japanese cuisine are not entirely new to this area, the location, prices, and creations are. Until now, sushi downtown was only obtainable at some of the higher end restaurants on special nights. Starting with Wasabi’s grand opening this Wednesday, downtowners will finally be able to get sushi whenever they want, and at the reasonable price they expect.
Wasabi is a casual restaurant, with a slightly upscale feel. Patrons can show up dressed as they are, but can expect to be treated to unique cocktails, high quality food, and friendly service. While the décor may be minimal, one thing they’ve really striven for is the highest quality products available. The freshness of the fish is truly top-notch, and they also offer some items that are not available at other restaurants.
Each roll is averagely priced, as are the sashimi and appetizers. They offer the usual favorites, like the crunch roll (spicy tuna, cucumber, avocado, and sriracha mayo), the yummy roll, and caterpillar rolls (freshwater eel, cucumber, tempura flakes, topped with avocado slices), with some newer, unique items as well. All items are served beautifully garnished. Some, like the alligator roll (with freshwater eel and avocado), come arranged as an alligator with little paws made out of the sweet eel sauce. The specialty rolls, however, really caught our eye. One of which, the Tipsy Tuna, is a tuna roll with both regular and super-white tunas, with a pile of velvety fresh tuna chunks drizzled with chile mayo arranged around a lemon bowl served flaming with 151 Rum.  Keng explained that the super-white tuna is not albacore, but in fact, an even whiter tuna with an impeccable flavor.
In addition to rolls, appetizers, like Gyoza (delicious Japanese pot sticker dumplings), and the Crying Tiger (marinated, seared beef served rare with a spicy citrus chile sauce) are a great start to any meal. Larger, more shareable items are also available, such as their sushi and sashimi boats. The boats, which come in large ($39 for 2-3 people) or small ($17 for 1-2 people), create a really nice option to try new things, and get a little of everything. The contents change based on the chef’s choices, and offer a chance to leave it to the experts. Several different pieces of sushi, and some sashimi, usually some tuna, surf clams, and shrimp, are included.
Wasabi serves a few wines, beers, and sakes. Unfortunately their liquor license does not allow for a full bar, but they have cleverly sidestepped this by offering some very different sake cocktails. One such cocktail is served with a sparkling sake with oranges and fruit added to make a Japanese sangria cava of sorts.
While Wasabi may not be the first of its kind in Fargo, it will be welcomed in the downtown area for offering a pleasing array of choices all made with fresh ingredients. It is casual, healthy, and affordable, all while maintaining a high standard of quality. Wasabi will accommodate food lovers of all backgrounds, as well comfort the apprehensive but curious newbie. Better start practicing those chopsticks!

Questions and comments: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)