Samurai revisited

Samurai Sushi
2209 Elliston Place
Nashville, TN
615-320-5438

various sushi

I remember when Samurai Sushi opened, and all it had was a sushi bar, and a few tables of 4 and that was it. Mr Choo, chef and owner, had copied pages of Asian calligraphy and taped the pages up on the wall to make a wall paper. It really felt like I was sitting in a hole in the wall sushi joint in Manhattan. I loved it. Then, Samurai got really popular with the Exit/In and the End crowd, and it became nearly impossible to get in on a Friday or Saturday. Then, a couple years ago, the next door neighbor went out of business, and Mr Choo expanded his little restaurant into another space tripling the size of his restaurant. It is much easier to get in to Samurai Sushi now, and there is generally no wait. Mr Choo has also painted his walls now to a beige color, so gone is his homemade wall paper. It does seem like a "nicer" restaurant now, but I miss that urban edge that his wall paper gave to the room.

We have always had luck asking Mr Choo, what is the best fish, and taking a minute to looking into the sushi cooler. I really like the standards, yellowtail, tuna, salmon and salmon roe. Every time we get these fish, they have been buttery, smooth and fresh. I also like getting seaweed salad, which has sesame oil in it. Note, there is really no cooked food here except for miso soup. If you want teriyaki or other stir fry stuff, this is not the place for you. Samurai sushi is about straight forward sushi.

I like going to Samurai Sushi when I have just come off the road from food desserts that I occasionally go to. When I have been in towns with only fast food, or fatty foods devoid of vegetables, I crave raw food, seafood, and lack of added fat. I want something completely opposite of fast food, and Samurai Sushi feels like it is the complete opposite of fast food. I seem to feel better when I have a meal at Samurai Sushi.