Zen and the art of sushi

Japanese authenticity, Seattle freshness and Mill Creek convenience is how Sushi Zen owner Kimiko Kim describes her restaurant. My mom and I agree.

“You don’t have to drive to Seattle to eat good sushi,” Kim said, who has owned the restaurant for a little over a year.

A Japanese chef and Kim’s experience working in the restaurant business in Japan makes the food at Sushi Zen completely authentic.

Sushi Zen is a quaint restaurant offering anything from sashimi (raw, freshly cut fish without rice) to teriyaki. Guests enjoy quiet jazz music while they dine in the brightly painted restaurant.

Edamame (steamed soybeans) and a small shrimp and cucumber salad are served along with the menu.

The dinner menu is extensive but simple to understand. An English to Japanese translation table is located within the menu, helping those unfamiliar with the terms to easily navigate.

Sushi is divided two ways on a separate sheet: two-piece orders and rolls (about six pieces). Guests mark their selections on the sheet. The waiter then gives the sheet to the sushi chefs.

Two sushi chefs work behind the counter creating the many colorful fish delicacies. My mom and I decided to sit at the counter to watch the chefs in actions. Numerous tables are also available.

To start off we ordered the tempura shrimp appetizer ($5.95). The shrimp and mixture of carrots, onions and sweet potatoes are lightly fried and served with a dipping sauce.

While sitting at the counter, the most exquisite and appropriately named Rainbow Roll, ($8.95) caught our attention. The roll starts with the common California Roll. This includes crab, cucumber, avocado, tobiko (flying fish eggs) and mayonnaise. The chef then tops this roll with the vibrant orange salmon, raw red tuna and smooth white fish. The colors overlap, creating the rainbow effect. It looked too good to resist so we ordered one to share.

One of Sushi Zen’s signature rolls is the Mill Creek Roll consisting of shrimp tempura, crab, lettuce, avocado, tobiko, and spicy mayo ($7.95). My mom and I also ordered one to share. We had never tried a roll with lettuce before, but the mixture of the crisp leaves with the seafood was a good balance.

I ordered one of my personal favorites, Tamago ($4.50). The sweet egg is placed over sticky white rice and wrapped with a small strip of seaweed.

The Godzilla Roll is for the more adventurous. Consisting of shrimp tempura, avocado and tobiko, this roll is then wrapped with eel and topped with eel sauce ($7.95). Even though we have enjoyed sushi together for many years, we have yet to try eel.

While eating, my mom noticed the chef preparing a roll we had never tried before. “Wow, what is that?” my mom asked while the chef covered the roll with a light red sauce. “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Shrimp,” ($10) replied sushi chef Daniel Kim. The roll is filled with tempura shrimp and avocado. It is then topped with spicy tuna and the spicy original sauce we observed.

To finish our meal we ordered banana tempura with vanilla ice cream ($4.50). The banana is split in fourths and lightly fried. It is then served with chocolate sauce and your choice of either vanilla or green tea ice cream. This was a delicious way to end our meal.

Feel free to make this a family event. Sushi Zen offers a menu for children eight and under. The menu includes a small chicken teriyaki ($6), chicken karaage ($6) and tempura udon ($5.50). Each item includes three pieces of a California Roll, miso soup and rice.

Those older than 21 can enjoy the many selections of premium sakes or Sushi Zen’s house sake (small $3.75; large $6.50). Sake is a mix of rice, yeast and spring water served hot, cold or at room temperature. Sushi Zen also offers a variety of wine and beer. Happy hour is from 5-6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Sushi Zen has a relaxed atmosphere; perfect for a celebration dinner or just a night out. Our dinner was wonderful as usual. Fresh fish and great service will keep us coming back for more.