Dear Steemit Friends,
The Japanese have been eating sushi for centuries. It has just recently grown in popularity steadily over the last several decades across the world. Sushi is not only delicious, at least in my opinion, but itβs also very good for you. Great claims have been made about the health benefits of the typical Japanese diet which includes a regular intake of fresh fish and rice. The average life expectancy for both women and men in Japan is one of the highest in the world and research leads to this diet as one of the highest contributors.
Honestly speaking, I haven't always been a big fan of Sushi. When I was much younger, I couldn't imagine putting something raw and uncooked into my mouth and swallowing it, but tastes change and for the past several years I have become one the biggest fans of Sushi in all its various forms. The "slimy" texture and the occasional raw flavor of seafood is an acquired taste for many people, but for those of us who enjoy it - we just can't get enough.
Living in Asia for the past few years, I had access to a lot of seafood and had the luxury of enjoying Sushi at a very reasonable price anytime I felt the craving for it. Since moving back to the states a few months ago, that luxury is a little less within reach. This is not to say that there aren't any seafood and Sushi restaurants in Austin - because there are a ton to choose from, it just isn't as inexpensive and not always the best when it comes to quality.
<center>
https://steemitimages.com/DQmdzJujc4WfGcZXEaFWETueakUrkUmhHqEkBbKeoihvz4r/image.png
Many Sushi Restaurants in Austin - but are they all good?
</center>
I have tried a few restaurants since I moved back - some good, some not so good, but I haven't found one that I would yet call my best and favorite Sushi restaurant. For the most part, all of the places I have been to are expensive by comparison and just ok as far as quality is concerned.
This brings me to EurAsia Sushi Bar& Seafood. I found this place as a recommendation from a friend and decided to visit - especially since it is only 5 minutes from where I currently live. It's located in a strip mall in the South of Austin near Wells Fargo Bank. The outside of the establishment is fairly bland and not too flashy which leads me to categorize it as a hole-in-the-wall kind of place.
The restaurant is surrounded by nail salons, massage parlors, and various other small businesses. Because of the look of the outside, I wasn't expecting much going in. The restaurant by-the-way has a 4.5 out of 5 rating on both Google and Yelp. The interior of the restaurant is quite a dramatic difference from the exterior. Divided by a glass wall with flowing water, you can choose to either dine and drink at the bar, or have a pleasant meal in the dining area, which includes a separate Sushi bar.
<center>
https://steemitimages.com/DQmTSLwoaEWayeHrdKZSkNmGmTFUY9ASvyosxFRvKYc1V1z/image.png
The Bar Dining Area on the left side of the restaurant
</center>
<center>
https://steemitimages.com/DQmTUZTt3QYuMxkHSQ496hPdUT8oiEYyvYPrX59VoojipDP/image.png
The Main dining area on the Right side of the restaurant
</center>
The interior has a very modern and clean layout that is reminiscent of a cozy nightclub scene. Like most typical Asian interior designs, there was a water feature built into the wall that separated the bar dining area from the main dining room
At each end of the room, there were large screen televisions mounted on the wall so you could watch the live preparation of every Sushi dish.
We hadn't eaten much the entire day and ended up getting to the restaurant early at around 4 PM. Our friend who recommended the restaurant suggested that we get their early between the lunch and dinner rush. Apparently, the restaurant was well known for its long lines and wait times - upwards of an hour to be seated, which of course is a good sign.
The menu at EurAsia is fairly extensive and has something that will appeal to every palate. Visitors can enjoy a number of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Indonesian inspired dishes aside from the large selection of freshly prepared Sushi available. At first glance, it is pretty overwhelming with so many choices in cuisine to choose from. I always say, "nothing beats variety." Since we were here for Japanese, we decided to focus on the Sushi menu. I honed in immediately on a few choices and took about 10 minutes to glance over other remaining menu items for consideration.
<center>
https://steemitimages.com/DQmQLzUEyQYg5ypfH8HrznGujbcj3v1UzRiXPiHaajDfuqK/image.png
You can find the entire Menu at the Following <a href ="http://eurasiasushiaustin.com/menu/">Link</a>
</center>
We ordered a pot of Japanese Ocha (hot green tea) and decided to start our meal with an appetizer of Spicy Garlic Edamame. This plate of lightly steamed immature soybeans sauteed with crushed pepper & fresh garlic lightly covered with kosher sauce was a great way to start the meal. The organic, fresh, and spicy flavor of each pod was just perfect to warm the tummy and freshen the palate from anything you had eaten or drank previously. The hint of spice from the crushed pepper and garlic was just enough to kick up the senses and add a twist to the longtime popular Japanese appetizer.
The green tea was an added complement to help wash down the remaining tiny bits of pepper that lingered after each piece of swallowed Edamame. The Green Tea that was served, however, was not the powdered Macha version which I had expected. Macha Green Tea has more concentrated antioxidants that offer more numerous health benefits, including increased metabolism and physical endurance and also helps your body get rid of free radicals and toxins. Instead what we were given was a pot where the hot water was infused through a bag of green tea leaves - it was still good and allowed for unlimited refills.
As we continued to feast on the Edamame, our first dish was delivered. A fresh pair of Seared Salmon Belly Sushi nigiri. This entree consisted of a small hand-rolled ball of rice covered by a light layer of wasabi and a lightly seared slice of fresh mouthwatering salmon. The picture below does not do the dish justice. It was one of the freshest, most tender, and most flavorful slices of salmon I have ever tasted. It was too bad there was only one of each because I could have eaten several more. I can't help but continue to think of the creamy flavor and soft texture of the sushi as I write this post. Needless to say, it was gone in one mouthful bite.
Our next dish was a combination of two items that we ordered. The Dynamite Shrimp Hand Rolls and the Crunchy Salmon Skin Roll. After devouring the Salmon Belly, I was excited to sink my teeth into these two selections. My first target of attack was the dynamite shrimp hand roll given that it would add a flavorful variety to what I had already eaten. The soy-paper wrap itself felt and had the texture of origami paper, so I wasn't sure if I was supposed to eat it. I thought to myself, "who orders a handroll and doesn't eat the wrapper?" Besides, it had sesame seeds on it. I took one bite, paper-roll and all and found it to taste amazingly good. The paper-like wrap easily dissolved and broke apart in my mouth and the taste of the Tempura fried shrimp was so good. Mixed in with the wrap were daikon sprouts with a spicy sauce that I just couldn't put my finger on. Each of the ingredients complimented each other perfectly to provide a fresh and crunchy party of flavors in my mouth, which I so enjoyed.
Next, I tried the crunchy Salmon Skin roll that was served with the hand rolls. I added a touch of soy sauce and a slice of ginger - cause who wouldn't? and put the entire piece in my mouth. The roll was definitely crunchy and had a dry yet full of flavor bite to it. I can't say this was one of my favorite dishes and would have probably ranked this at the bottom of my repeat dishes for the restaurant. This roll tasted a bit fishy, but then again, that was understandable given that it is primarily made of a fried salmon skin. The cucumber, gobo & daikon sprouts, and the bonito akes & sweet soy did very little to make the dish taste better. The skin of the Salmon itself was too overpowering. We ended up taking a couple of leftover pieces home.
While waiting for our next entrees to arrive, the waitress brought out the Shrimp tempura that we ordered.
First-things-first, don't be fooled by the image above, and I'll tell you why. Unlike most of our dishes, this one was not as well decorated as the others. Usually, when people eat, they lead with their eyes, and from the site of the plate shown above, it looks like a plate with 2 frozen battered shrimps that were quickly deep fried and thrown on a plate. If anything, quite the opposite was true. These two lightly battered shrimps were so tender and juicy - all I could think of was the phrase of "not judging a book by its cover." The Dynamite Shrimp Hand Roll I had eaten previously should have been a signal for what I should expect when biting into this tempura - Amazing!
After I finished licking the plate of the Shrimp tempura (literally), the waitress brought out our Bluefin Tuna.
This plate of rolled up slices of fresh Tuna Sashimi was laid over a bed of fresh bed of leaves and spinach and covered with a light vinaigrette and small sprinkles of caviar. The Tuna and Caviar itself was good, but the vinaigrette was a bit tart and made the entire dish unpleasant overall. Without the layer of vinaigrette, It was amazing. I also have to point out that the dish wasn't really what we ordered since we ordered the Bluefin Tuna <b>tartare</b> which is almost an entirely different dish with different flavors. I don't blame the restaurant though since I probably didn't speak up loud enough when ordering. My wife isn't a fan of tart and tangy food, so I took it upon myself to finish the entire plate.
To balance out the amount of seafood we were eating we also ordered a Crunchy California Roll. The plate itself was beautifully arranged and it looked so delicious when it was brought to our table.
I have to admit, this is one of the best California Rolls I have ever eaten. It was covered with a finely powdered form of the breading that was used to make the tempura rolls that gave it a flavorful sawdust texture. Inside was a crab, cucumber, and avocado mix covered with a rich sesame sauce that elevated the flavor of the roll. Aside from the initial Salmon belly sushi, this was my second favorite dish of the evening. This roll had everything, texture, variety, and a rich flavor that made for a perfect combination.
Because our order of the Crunchy Salmon Skin didn't work out for us, we decided to order one more dish to round-out our entire experience. We decided to try the All In One Roll. This roll had everything. Bluefin Tuna, Yellowtail, Salmon, Crab mix, masago, avocado, cucumber & daikon sprouts - a party roll with everything you could want in a single bite-sized roll.
When it was brought out, I was excited to try it. Again, I put a dab of Soy Sauce (light sodium version) as well as a slice of ginger and put the entire piece in my mouth (Sushi is not meant for biting). It was good. My only complaint was the layers of seaweed wrapped around the sushi. I tried a few pieces to make sure it wasn't just me, but the layers of seaweed were too tough to eat. Each piece of the All In One Sushi that I stuck in my mouth kept getting stuck when I tried to swallow because the seaweed just unrolled itself and hung down my throat causing me to choke. Hazards of culinary war I guess, but I did enjoy it.
We spent about an hour at the restaurant and paid about $85 USD for the entire meal. It's a bit pricier than I am used to paying for Sushi, but given that I'm back in the States, it was very reasonable. The food was great and I enjoyed six out of the eight dishes we ordered and would list five of them on my repeat list of dishes to order again during my future visits. This gives me plenty enough room to try out different entrees and see what else the restaurant has to offer.
I hope you enjoyed and found my review of EurAsia Sushi Bar and Seafood interesting and informative. If your ever in the Austin area, I highly recommend you check this place out. I will be adding this restaurant to my list of favorite spots to eat. If you know of any other establishments you would recommend, please let me know in the comments section below. If you do have any questions, inputs, or feedback, please also share those with me.
If you want to read more of my daily posts, please Follow me!
<a href ="https://steemit.com/@cloh76"><img src ="https://steemitimages.com/DQmQivVDWt5fhQbEAXbh3EyZbaNuRzKSuPTDwJSxjQRSjyw/Signature.png"></a>
<a href = "https://steemit.com/~witnesses"><img src ="https://steemitimages.com/DQmU8WLujkyUB29aDtBop9jNUB9F7VeNiwduPFqXq3zEqPS/Signature-Witness%20Vote.png"></a>