Kawasaki: Neighborhood Sushi

I have asked, but no one has an emphatic answer for "Where is the best sushi around here?" The City Paper food reviews give Asahi, on Broadway, and Kawasaki, right around the corner, the best marks. I wasn't as wowed by Asahi as they were. But Kawasaki has become my reliable favorite. (I can't provide a link for Kawasaki, because their website is chronically broken; however, citysearch gives a restaurant profile with all of the pertinent information.)

I've been to Kawasaki numerous times. Recently, a few of us had lunch there, and we were all so happy with our meals that it deserves a review.

There's nothing particularly great or awful about the ambiance of the restaurant. The best feature is the bank of 4 traditional sunken tables along the windows, where you must remove your shoes before seating. There is also a standard sushi bar for about 5 people and another 10 regular tables. The outside seating on the sidewalk of the cobblestone street, overlooking the water and people on the promenade, is ideal - and a bonus for when you want to bring your dog!

So, the food is best described as "reliable". I go there because the fish is always a good quality and the preparation is always better than average. First, let's start with the basics. If I am having a lunch or afternoon snack, my regular order is the appetizer portion of tuna sashimi, which is simply 10-12 slices of tuna for around $10 and a seaweed salad. The seaweed salad is as good as any I have had - a standard that they get right. Their version of the spicy tuna roll is covered with a spicy sauce that is a little smoky and tangy, and most importantly, not the dreaded mayonnaise-y version. At our recent lunch, we discovered some of their yummy rolls, including the Western Roll and the Sashimi Roll. The Western Roll is crunchy and tasty with tempura salmon. The Sashimi is salmon and avocado with a mint leaf wrapped in cucumber and topped with a delicate dab of wasabi mayonnaise. Their Spider Roll, with light tempura softshell crab, is actually one of the best I have ever had. All of these rolls reveal that they tend to use a delicate and creative touch, never overwhelming the star of the show - the fish.

This solid menu of good sashimi and sushi and lovely maki, conveniently located down the promenade, is enough to make it my goto sushi spot, but it gets better! Kawasaki offers a lunch special menu. There are lunch boxes and sushi specials, all with a LOT of food for the money. Choose 2 or 3 rolls from an abbreviated list, for only $7.95 or $11.95, respectively, which includes miso soup and house salad. Usually, "bargain sushi" scares me, but I wasn't afraid here.

Having no interest in anything BUT the fish, I have yet to try Kawasaki's non-sushi Japanese food offerings. Next time I go, I will bring my sushi-loathing husband so he can amend this review. And while I imagine there is a fancier or better sushi place in all of Baltimore, until I find it I will recommend Kawasaki. It get 4 out of 5 chopsticks for it's reliable and delicious food and ideal (walkable) location with outside seating.