By Jonathon Chong
Western Herald
Located in downtown Kalamazoo, just a stone’s throw away from the Arcadia Creek Festival Site, is a simple yet slightly upscale Japanese restaurant that serves a great amount of rolls and fresh sushi accompanied by a contemporary Asian décor.
Marissa Ingle/Western Herald - Sushiya Restaurant located at 242 East Kalamazoo Ave. downtown.
Sushiya, an Asian fusion restaurant has been a favorite among many of the locals for years for their fresh seafood and elegantly crafted rolls. The dining experience at Sushiya is a little more upscale, yet the atmosphere provides a casual setting to start a great night out, or a late night cure for that Japanese food craving (open on Monday – Saturday until 2 a.m.).
Once we were promptly seated, we ordered cups of much needed green tea for the ghastly cold weather and started perusing the menu. We decided on an order of agedashi tofu, a salmon and spicy scallop roll, a Sushiya Soup, and a Gopdol bibimbop.
The agedashi tofu, which is lightly fried cubes of tofu with scallions and a sweet soy broth turned out perfect, soft in the center with a little crunch on the outside.
The Sushiya soup was a spicy seafood broth with an assortment of seafood that was just a little overcooked for my liking. The seafood was rubbery and over done.
However, the broth had a great taste and was seasoned well. If not for the seafood it would have been a great bowl of spicy goodness.
After a short wait our waiter brought the salmon and spicy scallop roll and the Gopdol bibimbop. The salmon and spicy scallop roll was a good combination of rice with great tasting bite to the salmon and spicy scallops. The salmon was quite fresh but could have been better. Nevertheless, a great tasting dish.
The Gopdol bibimbop is not a Japanese dish but was highly recommended by friends who enjoyed the restaurant. It was a mixture of beef, rice, mushrooms, vegetables, and a fried egg served in a very hot stone bowl with a thick hot pepper sauce.
The dish was fragrant and had a good mixture of taste. There was also a tasteful crispy texture from the rice that had become golden brown when placed in the hot stone bowl.
To sum up our dining experience, we received great service but would have preferred if the food were a little more prompt. Sushiya will continue to be a great option for a night of Japanese food, served with a pleasant ambience.
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