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Review: Sushi Densha
- June 27, 2012
- on 6/27/2012
- MoJo: Mary Ellen Mitchell
Spider roll: Tempura soft shell crab with lettuce and avocado, topped with spicy mayo.
Spider roll: Tempura soft shell crab with lettuce and avocado, topped with spicy mayo.
Frederick has a new restaurant, Sushi Densha, and it's a sushi go round.
A sushi go round means that the sushi literally goes around the restaurant on a conveyer belt. Densha translates as train and so the belt resembles a Disney-esque track around the dining room.
Popular for a fast meal in Japan, this style of restaurant has gained a following the world over. Delivered on small plates of various colors, the patrons select what appeals, instead of having a waiter serve them. At the end of the meals the small plates are tallied up as each color has a different price.
A friend and I decided to give Sushi Densha a try recently. We arrived around 5 p.m. - a little early for the dinner hour and just a few other people were in the restaurant. By the time we left, every table was full.
The conveyer belt moves around the center of the space with a mini kitchen in its middle for the chefs. This setup compliments the industrial feel of the place and its contemporary decor. Unfortunately, our experience was not as polished as the ambience and both of us commented that we wished there was as much consideration given to the food as there was to the decor.
Because we were one of the first diners to arrive, the conveyer belt service hadn't started for the night, so we ordered a mixed lot from the menu, sushi and tempura with a few appetizers.
The mackeral ($3.50), yellowtail ($4.50) and spicy salmon roll ($4.95) arrived in minutes and looked great, but unfortunately wasn't as appealing to the palate. The yellowtail was not to our liking and the other two were fairly unremarkable.
The tempura appetizer ($6.95) promised shrimp, sweet potato and vegetables, but was missing the sweet potato - and any real flavor. Sadly disappointing, it was very pale for tempura, too oily and rather tasteless.
The fried beef and vegetable Gyoza ($5.25) and Chicken on a Stick ($5.95) were much better and well seasoned.
As we were leaving, the conveyer belt was in full use and steady stream fresh sushi began to pass by our table. The diners to our left ordered a large combination platter, which was like art on a plate with its color and texture.
According to a quick survey of Fredericktonians, Sushi Densha is either one of the best places in town or a sad disappointment. Here's hoping the reviews will even out as this new restaurant finds a balance between the mundane and the superb.
Sushi Densha, is located at 5010 Buckeystown Pike Ste 148 in the Westview complex at Route 85 and Crestwood Blvd. For more information call: (301) 644-2895 or visit them online:http://www.sushidensha.comNo comments have been posted for this article.
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