Sustainable sushi and standout rolls at Blue Sushi Sake Grill
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A new sushi spot — featuring a mural of Godzilla descending upon downtown Tempe — is taking the Valley by storm.
State of play: Congratulations to Janet Hamlin, the only correct guesser of the location of last Friday's "Where in the Valley" photo.
- For the rest of you: I now have the distinct pleasure of introducing you to my new favorite happy hour locale: Blue Sushi Sake Grill.
Zoom in: The restaurant opened its first Arizona location at Novus Place on ASU's campus early last year and has since expanded to the Village at Prasada in Surprise.
- Its "Conscious Earth program" promises diners a sustainable seafood experience, and its menu denotes dishes that include seafood that's been fished or farmed in a manner that has minimal or no impact on ocean ecosystems.
The intrigue: Blue Sushi Sake's menu also features a substantial number of vegan and gluten-free options, a rarity at sushi restaurants.
Best bites: I've been a few times now, and while every dish has been delicious, these rose to the top:
- Mango Crab Rangoon: Big chunks of crab are mixed with mango, scallions and cream cheese, then deep fried and drizzled with sweet mango and pepper sauces.
- Cabo Roll: Spicy buckeye tuna is combined with crab mix and cucumber in a classic roll with heat and crunch.
- Itchy Salmon: This nigiri offering features crab mix topped with baked Atlantic salmon, serrano pepper, cilantro and ponzu sauce.
- Vegan South Pacific: My vegetarian husband insisted I try one of these rolls, made with breaded barbecued eggplant, dairy-free cream cheese and pineapple, and it became an immediate favorite.
If you go: The restaurant's prices are reasonable given the quality of the fish, but the happy hour menu (available 11am-6:30pm Mondays-Saturdays and all day on Sunday) has some killer deals, including rolls from $7-$12 and nigiri and sashimi options for less than $12.