Ah, sushi. You either love it or you hate it or you can’t bring yourself to touch it in order to discover which one you are! My brother-in-law always says, “I don’t eat bait”. Well, I guess I do because I place myself in the “love it” category, eating it about twice a week. I tend to be a fairly structured person and rely on my daily/weekly routines to help me get it all done through the course of a week and one of my favorite routines is definitely “Sushi Friday”. When I moved from Va. Beach to Chesapeake years ago it became a challenge to find a sushi spot close to home because nothing was close to our home! It was with great anticipation that I awaited the opening of a shopping strip close by that touted a restaurant with “sushi” in the name. I was not disappointed!
Shiki Sushi & Hibachi is a smallish place. There are about a dozen tables/booths; a small sushi bar and a Hibachi grill that seats about 8. I have eaten in the restaurant only two or three times. The service has been excellent. As is typical in Chesapeake, there is always a mixed bag of families and couples. My five year old, a fellow sushi eater, loves to eat there and they are especially good with children. (Some restaurants just tolerate kids, even the well mannered ones, but Shiki actually seems to enjoy them). The hibachi grill uses very fresh ingredients. Don’t expect a show a Shiki. Unlike some Japanese steakhouses, no one is going to do a dance or flip a shrimp in the air and have it land in their hat. What they will do is serve up a pleasing combination of shrimp, steak or chicken and vegetables. I don’t know what they do to the chicken, but it is some of the most tender I have tasted.
I have ordered carry out from Shiki close to hundred times, honestly. Every time I call it is ready in “fifteen minute”. And it really is. I rarely have to wait.
My standard order is the Sushi – Sashimi combo for two and a Yummy Role. The combo comes with the house “Shiki” roll which is phenomenal. Layered tempura shrimp, rolled in rice, covered with avocado and then covered in a sauce with just the right amount of spice. The Yummy roll is also shrimp based, but topped with eel, avocado and sauce. I have tried many other rolls, all good, but keep coming back to the Yummy. It’s that good.
Their fish is always fresh. You will not find yourself chewing too much, or unable to bite a piece of sushi in half. The salmon is a standout. Always like butta! One of my sushi peeves is when the pieces are prepared over-sized with a gigantic slab of rice. Come on! How are you supposed to fit that in your mouth? Shiki sushi has a perfect balance of fish to rice. There’s enough fish that you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth, and just the right amount of rice to complement it all in a mouthful. Wow…is it Friday yet?!
Shiki Sushi is located in the Mount Pleasant Marketplace:
1464 Mount Pleasant Rd
Chesapeake, VA 23322
(757) 546-9338
2 comments:
Put me in the "love it" category too! And this looks awesome. I had a favorite sushi place where I used to live. I went there every sunday. The trouble is I can't find one to top it or even compare to it and this is a MUCH bigger town.. strange.
Don't give up on your search and don't be afraid to try small places in strip shopping centers. I have found several hidden gems amongst them! Great Sushi is worth the effort:)
_Laine
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