By my count, you can order sushi in at least six restaurants downtown–Osaka House, Red Sushi Grill, Restaurant Muramoto, Soga, Takara, Wasabi and T Sushi, which opened in March. With so much competition, these restaurants really need to stand out from each other.
T Sushi attempts to distinguish itself by selling the bar/lounge atmosphere. In fact, the first time I walked in, I was reminded of my old favorite watering hole, Crave, except it’s brighter inside. More on that in a bit.
I sat for lunch the day after T Sushi revamped its menu. I started with the miso soup. The broth seemed slightly saltier than other miso soups, but I did appreciate the large chunks of tofu vs. the little bits you usually get.
Sushi is divided into special rolls and regular rolls, so I of course chose from the former list. The delicious Volcano roll ($12) is made from tempura spicy tuna and generously topped with red tobiko. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a roll this beautiful. The spicy mayo was a nice touch.
I had high hopes for the Surf & Turf ($16), especially after the super-friendly waiter recommended it, but I was disappointed. The tempura asparagus overwhelmed the mild flavor of the Maryland blue crab, and the seared beef tenderloin was too chewy.
On a Saturday night, my friend and I were two of just eight people in the entire place (extra surprising since the special was $5 martinis). The lounge in the back seems like it would be a fun place to enjoy drinks with friends, but it’s too brightly lit (the white couches don’t help, either), and there aren’t enough tables on which to set your drink.
Like Crave, T Sushi does have a robust martini list. I have yet to encounter a bad lychee martini, and the Lily’s lychee martini here is no exception, although it didn’t come with a full lychee in it. A warning that the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake martini is like drinking pure sugar.
I’ll definitely come back to T Sushi to eat, but I’ll probably hang out at other bars at night.
